Eating behavior and personological features of an Italian sample of university students: A pilot study

This study aims to evaluate the personality features that seem to be predictor of eating disorders in relation to perceived levels of self-esteem, self-efficacy and concern about their physical appearance, in a sample consisting of 90 students, aged 19 to 23, attending three different study courses of the University of Catania: Medicine, Psychology and Motor Science. The following psychological tests were used: Eating Disorder Inventory-2; Body Shape Questionnaire; Generalized Self-Efficacy Scale; Self-Esteem Scale. Data analysis shows that Psychology-group seems to orientate its interest and concerns toward individual and social skills and to use the ability to recognize and respond accurately to emotional states. Motor Science-group seems to direct their attention mainly toward body aspects; moreover, it seems to be characterized by a high sense of perceived self-efficacy and self-esteem. Finally, the characterizing factor for Medicine-group seems to be self-esteem, where subjects show highest scores, confirming the protective role of this domain. In Conclusion, the three groups seem to possess different qualities and abilities that reflect to some extent the personal choice to undertaken a particular path of study; this would seem to have a close relationship with the type of eating behavior that each individual performs in his daily life