Disordered Eating Attitudes and Behaviours in Students Undertaking Tertiary Training in Nutrition and Dietetics

Modern society is preoccupied with physical appearance. It is well accepted that a focus on appearance may negatively influence body image and lead to maladaptive behaviours such as disordered eating. Nutritionists and dietitians are often viewed as role models for eating- and body-related attitudes and behaviours. Students studying nutrition and dietetics (ND) have also previously reported a perceived pressure to appear and act in a certain way. It has also been suggested that some ND students may have chosen this study area due to a motivation to deal with pre-existing disordered eating- and weight-related issues. This hypothesis has led to several studies in this population being conducted to investigate the prevalence of disordered eating behaviours and negative body image. These studies have produced mixed outcomes, with some suggesting that ND students may be at greater risk, whilst others concluded that this group are no different to similar cohorts of university students. Furthermore, there is currently little evidence on the influence of ND tertiary training on the eating and body attitudes of students. Therefore, the aims of this research were: 1) To describe eating attitudes and behaviours of students undertaking tertiary training in ND degrees, 2) To explore associations between the eating attitudes and behaviours and other psychological and physiological factors, and 3) To examine the change in eating attitudes and behaviours of ND students over one year of university study.Submitted in the fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, University of the Sunshine Coast, 2017