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Prevalence of disorders: Anorexia

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  • Module: Anorexia nervosa/
  • Prevalence of disorders: Anorexia

Prevalence of disorders

Psychologists are interested in why the prevalence rates of a disorder are not constant.  For many disorders, prevalence rates change over time and are not consistent cross-culturally.  This component explores the difficulties in measuring prevalence and the factors that may play a role in its change. The question that will be asked will most likely ask you to discuss "one or more disorders," so knowing specific prevalence rates is not required.

Key concepts

Before completing the module below, please read the section of the textbook called Prevalence of disorders. When reading this section, please make note of the following important concepts:

  • Incidence
  • Prevalence

text

Conceptual understanding and research

Read through the following presentation. Be sure to pay attention to the terminology at the beginning of the presentation and the summary at the end of the presentation.  For a potential essay, you should be able to discuss two or three factors that are listed on the final slide using relevant research.

Preparing for assessment

In the presentation, there are two key studies that are discussed.

First, there is the study carried out by Lee and Lee (2000) to investigate the role of Westernization on eating disorders in three Chinese communities.

Then there is the study by Becker et al (2002) that looked at the role of globalization on eating behaviours in Fiji.

Be sure to read each of the studies carefully, making note of the procedures and findings.

Which of the following is not a limitation of prevalence rates?

The goal of prevalence rates is to describe the health problem in the population; since this is the goal, the fact that it is only relevant to the population from which the data are taken is not a limitation.

 

Which of the following is not a reason that prevalence rates change over time?

Although theoretically, a genetic mutation could lead to a change in prevalence, this is a long-term process and not usually observed in abnormal research. 

 

Which of the following statements is not true about prevalence rates?

Several factors may influence prevalence rates over time.  In addition, cultural, economic, and gender differences may account for differences in prevalence rates - so they are not universal.

 

Costin (2004) found that a key reason that men may be under-diagnosed with eating disorders is

Costin argues that the problem is that men with anorexia are over twice as likely to have substance abuse issues compared to women.  This substance abuse then becomes the focus of the diagnosis and treatment.  The rate of eating disorders in males continues to increase, so it is no longer considered a radical diagnosis. Men do seek help, although the numbers are lower than women.

 

Which research method was used in Becker's (2002) study of how television influenced the self-concept and eating behaviours of adolescent Fijian girls?

Although interviews were used to collect data, the study was a natural experiment.  There was a "before" and "after" television design.  The independent variable - the introduction of television - was not manipulated by the researcher.  It was an independent measures design.

 

Lee and Lee (2000) found that body dissatisfaction and eating disorders in China were more common in

Lee and Lee found that girls in Westernized Hong Kong were slimmer and the highest levels of body dissatisfaction of the three communities studied.

 

According to Cheng (2018), which factor may play a key role in men seeking out psychological help?

Cheng (2018) found that education makes a difference.  However, the study was done also done on university students, so the generalizability of the findings may be limited.

 

What is meant by the statement, "Western physicians applied an etic approach to the case of Charlene Hsu Chi-Ying when diagnosing her with anorexia"?

An etic approach is when we apply our own culture's standards to understanding another culture.  Charlene's death led to a lot of discussion about anorexia in China - a disorder that up until that point, had not been recognized by Chinese doctors.

 

Total Score:

Continue to the final assessment