CONNECTION BETWEEN EATING DISORDERS AND FAMILY EATING HABITS, ATTACHMENT STYLE AND PARENTING STYLE ON A SAMPLE OF SLOVENE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

Motnje hranjenja, ki jih v splošnem zaznamujejo neobičajna ter škodljiva vedenja in prepričanja povezana s hranjenjem in odnosom do lastnega telesa, kot so stradanje, prenajedanje, prenajedanje in bruhranje, zloraba odvajal in diuretikov ter pretirana telesna aktivnost (Švab in Šolar, 2000), uvrščamo med duševne motnje (Berger, Balažic, Ravnik in Kovačič, 1995), saj naj bi spremenjen odnos do hrane predstavljal »odraz globoke duševne in čustvene vznemirjenosti in nesprejemanja samega sebe,« (Sernec, 2010). Namen magistrskega dela je ugotoviti, ali obstajajo statistično pomembne povezave med motenimi vzorci hranjenja pri slovenskih srednješolcih, družinskimi prehranjevalnimi navadami, stilom navezanosti in vzgojnim stilom. Izvedli smo raziskavo na vzorcu slovenskih srednješolcev. Udeleženci so rešili baterijo vprašalnikov, ki je sestavljena iz Vprašalnika družinskih prehranjevalnih navad FEHQ, vprašalnika, ki meri motene vzorce hranjenja, EAT26 ter Vprašalnika medosebnih odnosov RQ in Lestvice družinskih procesov za adolescente AFP. Statistična analiza je pokazala, da obstajajo statistično pomembne pozitivne povezave med motenimi vzorci hranjenja ter preokupiranim stilom navezanosti ter plašljivo izogibajočim stilom navezanosti. Poleg tega smo ugotovili, da so nekatere komponente avtoritarnega vzgojnega stila, kot je nadzor, pozitivno povezane z motenimi vzorci hranjenja. Analize so pokazale, da so moteni vzorci hranjenja pomembno povezani z nekaterimi komponentami odnosov med mladostnikom in starši, ki se v literaturi omenjajo kot izrazite značilnosti družin posameznikov z motnjami hranjenja. Med te sodijo predvsem tesna povezanost, rigidne meje in slaba sposobnost reševanja konfliktov oziroma potlačevanje le-teh. Poleg tega smo ugotovili, da se nekateri vidiki družinskih prehranjevalnih navad pomembno povezujejo z motenimi vzorci hranjenja, tudi po tem, ko nadzorujemo vpliv drugih spremenljivk, kot so stil navezanosti, vzgojni stil, značilnosti družinske sestave in spol. Podatek o korelaciji teh pojavov bi lahko bil pomemben za razumevanje pojava in ozadja razvoja motenj hranjenja. Predvsem prehranjevalne navade v družini predstavljajo družinski faktor, ki ga lahko z relativno preprostimi intervencijami podvržemo spremembi, in nekatere druge družinske faktorje, ki vplivajo na razvoj motenj hranjenja. Prehranjevalne navade v družini bi v tem primeru lahko predstavljale dobro tarčo za intervencije pri preventivi in zdravljenju motenj hranjenja pri mladostnikih.Eating disorders, which are generally characterized by abnormal and harmful behaviors and attitudes related to eating and body image, such as starvation, overeating, overeating and purging, abuse of laxatives and diuretics and excessive exercise (Švab in Šolar, 2000), are mental disorders (Berger, Balažic, Ravnik in Kovačič, 1995), since the changed attitude towards food is said to be a reflection of deep mental and emotional distress and lack of self acceptance (Sernec, 2010). The goal of the master\u27s thesis has been to find out if there are statistically important connections between the disturbed patterns of the Slovenian middle school students\u27 eating, family eating habits, attachment style, and parenting style. We have done a research on a sample of the Slovenian middle school students. The respondents have answered a battery of questionnaires, which consists of the Family Eating Habits Questionnaire (FEHQ), a questionnaire, which measures the disturbed eating patterns, EAT26, the Questionnaire of interpersonal relations RQ, and the Scale for family processes for adolescents AFP. The statistical analysis has shown that there are statistically important positive correlations between the disturbed patterns of eating and preoccupied style of attachment and timid avoiding style of attachment. We have also found out that some components of the authoritative upbringing style, such as control, are positively connected with the disturbed patterns of eating. The analyses have shown that the disturbed patterns of eating are importantly connected with some components of relationships between an adolescent and his/her parents, which is mentioned in the literature as typical features of the families of the individuals with eating disorders. Among them are tight connection, rigid borders, and bad ability to solve conflicts or supressing of them. We have also found out that some aspects of family eating habits are importantly connected with the disturbed patterns of eating, even after we control the influence of other variables, such as attachment style, upbringing style, features of family compositions, and gender. Information about correlation of this phenomenon could be important for its understanding and background of the eating disorders development. Especially eating habits in families present a family factor, which can undergo change with relatively simple interventions. In this case, eating habits in families could present a good target for interventions in prevention and treatment of adolescent eating disorders