Comparison of single- and double-stage designs in the prevalence estimation of eating disorders in community samples

  • Francisco Javier Labrador
  • María Angeles Peláez-fernández
  • Rosa María Raich
Keywords: Eating disorders, Prevalence, Case-identification design, One-stage design, Two-stage design

Abstract

The aim of this research was to compare two different case-identification designs: (a) a one-stage anonymous design using the Eating Disorders Examination-Questionnaire (EDE-Q; Fairburn & Beglin, 1994) as diagnostic instrument and (b) a two-stage-non-anonymous design using the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT; Garner & Garfinkel, 1979) and the EDE-Q as screening instruments and the clinical interview Eating Disorders Examination (EDE; Fairburn & Cooper, 1993) as diagnostic instrument, in the estimation of eating disorders prevalence in community samples. Both epidemiological designs were compared in: eating disorders prevalence, population at risk, and weekly frequency of associated symptomatology (binge eating episodes, self-vomiting) within a sample of 559 scholars (14 to 18 year-old males and females) studying in the region of Madrid. Eating disorders prevalence estimation using single-stage design was 6.2%, and 3% using the two-stage design; however, these differences were not significant (p = .067). No significant differences between the two procedures were found either in population at risk or in weekly frequency of reported self-vomiting. Reported binge eating episodes were higher in the one-stage design. The use of a two-stage procedure with clinical interview (vs. questionnaire) leads to a better understanding of the items (specially the most ambiguous ones) and thus, to a more accurate prevalence estimation.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Crossmark

Metrics

Published
2008-01-01
How to Cite
Labrador F. J., Peláez-fernández M. A. . y Raich R. M. . (2008). Comparison of single- and double-stage designs in the prevalence estimation of eating disorders in community samples. The Spanish Journal of Psychology, 11(2), 542-550. https://revistas.ucm.es/index.php/SJOP/article/view/SJOP0808220542A
Section
Articles