FREQUENCY COMPARISON OF THE SYMPTOMS OF EATING DISORDERS IN CROATIAN AND SLOVENIAN STUDENTS

Složeni poremećaji i smetnje u ograničavanju ili pretjeranom uzimanju hrane i striktnoj kontroli i opterećenosti vlastitom tjelesnom masom nazivaju se poremećaji hranjenja. Broj oboljelih danas izrazito je velik i ima tendenciju rasta. Podaci ukazuju na činjenicu da 7 milijuna žena i čak milijun muškaraca kroz neko razdoblje tijekom svog života boluju od poremećaja hranjenja. U poremećaje hranjenja spadaju: anoreksija (AN), bulimija (BN), poremećaji prejedanja (BED), ostali specifični poremećaji (OFSED) gdje su svrstani netipični oblici poremećaja hranjenja te nespecifični poremećaji hranjenja (UFED) gdje nisu zadovoljeni kriteriji za poremećaj hranjenja prema učestalosti javljanja. Uzrok im nije sasvim razjašnjen, ali smatra se da bolesti nastaju pod utjecajem bioloških (genetskih), psiholoških i socijalnih čimbenika. Važno je naglasiti da neke osobe uz prisutne mnoge rizične čimbenike nikada ne razviju bolest. Postoje mnogi oblici liječenja, ali ključ je holistički, multidisciplinarni pristup te timski rad stručnjaka, oboljelog i obitelji. Cilj ovog istraživanja bio je istražiti razliku između učestalosti pojave simptomatologije poremećaja hranjenja kod studenata u Republici Hrvatskoj u odnosu na one u Republici Sloveniji. Analizom informacija prikupljenih EAT-26 testom koji je ispunilo 200 hrvatskih i 200 slovenskih studenata, uočeno je da podjednak broj studenata ima prenisku tjelesnu masu i podjednak broj studenata liječio se ili se liječi od poremećaja hranjenja te kako je prisutnost simptomatologije poremećaja hranjenja podjednaka, gledajući ukupan zbroj bodova testa kod slovenskih i hrvatskih studenata. Međutim, u Sloveniji veći postotak studenata ima prisutnu simptomatologiju poremećaja hranjenja, gledajući odgovore na bihevioralna pitanja testa u usporedbi sa studentima iz Hrvatske. Zaključak studije je kako među ispitanim studentima, na temelju bihevioralnih pitanja, u Sloveniji ima više studenata sa prisutnom simptomatologijom poremećaja hranjenja u odnosu na studente u Hrvatskoj.Complex disorders which refer both to the restriction or excessive food intake and to strict control and focusing on one’s own bodyweight are called eating disorders. The number of patients that suffer from eating disorders today is extremely large and tends to rise. The data shows the fact that 7 million women and 1 million men have suffered from eating disorders during a certain period of their lives. Eating disorders include: anorexia (AN), bulimia (BN), binge eating disorder (BED), other specified feeding and eating disorders (OFSED) where atypical forms of eating disorders are classified, and unspecified feeding or eating disorder (UFED) where the criteria for eating disorders are not met by frequency of reporting. The cause of eating disorders is not fully researched, but it is considered that disorders occur under the influence of biological (genetic), psychological and social factors. It is important to emphasize that, despite many risk factors, some people will never develop the disorder. There are many forms of treatment, but the key is a holistic one, a multidisciplinary approach and teamwork of professionals, the patient, and the family. The aim of this study was to compare the frequency of the symptoms of eating disorders between Croatian and Slovenian students. By analyzing data collected by means of the EAT-26 test, completed by 200 Croatian and 200 Slovenian students, it was concluded that there is an equal number of the students who were underweight and the students who were treated or are treated for eating disorders. Also, the presence of eating disorders symptoms is equal in terms of the total test scores for Slovenian and Croatian students. However, in terms of the answers to behavioral questions of the test, Slovenian students have a higher percentage of presence of eating disorder symptomatology. The conclusion is that among the surveyed students, based on behavioral questions, there are more students in Slovenia with the presence of symptoms of eating disorders compared to the students in Croatia