OBJECTIVE: To identify the prevalence and factors associated with symptoms of eating disor-ders among students. METHODS: Cross sectional study involving 365 students from 7 to 14 years old from elementary school in Salvador, Bahia. It was applied for the students of < 12 years old the Eating Behaviors and Body Image Test and for those of > 13 years old it was adopted the Eating Attitudes Test-26, Bulimic Investigatory Test of Edinburgh and Body Shape Questionnaire. The Child Behavior Checklist was administered to all students. Data was collected anthropometric and dietary, lifestyle, demographic, socioeconomic, and pubertal. Poisson regression was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: Symptoms of ea-ting disor-ders were present in 23% of the students. Age (PR: 1.25, 95% CI: 1.11 to 1.40), body image dissatisfaction (PR: 4.23, 95% CI: 2.53 to 7.08), internalizing behavior problems (PR: 1.78, 95% CI: 1.11 to 2.85), replacing the consumption of meals by candies (PR: 2.14, 95% CI: 1.24 to 3.69), higher consumption of fruits and other vegetables (PR: 2.49, 95% CI: 1.55 to 3.99) and maternal education from 5th to 8th grade (PR: 1.95, 95% CI: 1.06 to 3.58), increase the occurrence of symptoms of eating disorders. CONCLUSION: A high prevalence of symptoms of eating disorders among students; sociodemographic and behavioral factors were associated with the event.
Eating disorders; anorexia nervosa; bulimia nervosa; students
