The role of Perfectionism and Difficulties in Emotional Regulation in Explanation of the Symptoms of Eating Disorders in High School Students

Cilj provedenog istraživanja bio je ispitati odnos perfekcionizma i problema u emocionalnoj regulaciji s učestalošću javljanja simptoma poremećaja hranjenja kod srednjoškolaca. Istraživanje je provedeno na redovnim sistematskim pregledima prvih razreda srednjih škola Primorsko-goranske županije i u njemu je sudjelovao 651 ispitanik (321 djevojka i 328 mladića) u dobi od 14 do 16.5 godina (M = 15; SD = 0.32). Hijerarhijskim regresijskim analizama provjereni su odnosi varijabli – problemi u emocionalnoj regulaciji, perfekcionizam i simptomatologija poremećaja hranjenja. Kako je pretpostavljeno, podljestvice perfekcionizma, Zabrinutost zbog pogrešaka te Roditeljska očekivanja i prigovaranja, pozitivno su korelirale s lošijom emocionalnom regulacijom. Suprotno hipotezi, Osobni standardi također su pozitivno povezani s problemima u emocionalnoj regulaciji. Pretpostavljeni doprinos lošije emocionalne regulacije u objašnjenju simptomatologije poremećaja hranjenja, dobiven je uz kontrolu puberalnog statusa. Lošija emocionalna regulacija nije se pokazala prediktorom Suzdržavanja. Djevojke su iskazale učestalije javljanje simptoma poremećaja hranjenja od mladića na svim EDE-Q podljestvicama. Naposljetku, viši centili indeksa tjelesne mase (ITM) povezuju se s učestalijim javljanjem simptoma poremećaja hranjenja. Djevojke i mladići višeg tjelesne mase pokazuju učestalije javljanje zabrinutosti za težinu u odnosu na pripadnike istog spola koji su niže tjelesne mase.The aim of this research was to examine the relationship between difficulties in emotion regulation, perfectionism, and incidence of eating disorders symptoms in high school students. Research was conducted at regular health checkups for first grade high schoolers in county Primorsko-goranska. 651 high schoolers (321 girls and 328 boys), from age 14 to 16.5, participated the study. Hierarchical regression analyses were applied to check the relationship between difficulties in emotion regulation, perfectionism, and symptoms of eating disorders. Subscales of perfectionism, Concern Over Mistakes and Parental Expectations and Criticism, positively correlated with difficulties in emotional regulation, as expected. On a contrary, Personal Standards also positively correlated with difficulties in emotion regulation, which was not assumed by hypothesis. Following the hypothesis, difficulties in emotion regulation predicted symptoms of eating disorders controlling for puberal timing. Restraint was the only variable that did not correlated with difficulties in emotion regulation. Girls showed more symptoms of eating disorders than boys. Lastly, higher BMI percentiles were correlated with higher incidence of eating disorders symptoms. Girls and boys at higher BMI percentile show higher incidence of weight concerns compared to members of the same gender who belong to lower BMI percentile