Relationship between eating disorders and internalized problems in chilean adolescents

BACKGROUND: Eating disorders (ED) are associated with internalized problems (INTP), such as depression and anxiety. Evidence shows that ED and INTP are associated with comorbidities. The relationship between these variables has not been the focus of studies on young people from Northern Chile. Children and adolescents are considered as an at-risk group, since they have been found to experience greater vulnerability to psychological problems than other age groups within the population and given the scarcity of studies in Chile, it is necessary to study the relationship between these variables. METHODS: This study analyzed the relationship between ED and INTP in Chilean high school students aged 12 to 18 years using Pearson's correlation. This is a non-experimental and transactional correlational study. We included 2277 students belonging to the public, government-subsidized, and private educational establishments in Northern Chile. The Child and Adolescent Evaluation System [Sistema de Evaluación de Niños y Adolescentes (SENA)] was used to detect a range of INTP, as well as ED. The Brief Self-Control Scale was used in this study. RESULTS: A strong and direct correlation of the eating disorder variable with depression and anxiety was found. Additionally, significant differences were observed with sex, highlighting females with a higher presence of INTP and ED. CONCLUSIONS: There is a need to establish strategies in the school setting for detecting frequent symptomatology in adolescents with INTP and ED to achieve a timely and accessible intervention. PLAIN ENGLISH SUMMARY: Since the symptomatology of ED is more prevalent in adolescents, this research evaluated relationships between ED and INTP in young people from Northern Chile. This research is relevant because the evidence on this topic in Chile is scarce and the relationships found could be the first research on the subject and serve to design an intervention plan at the school level in the medium and long terms. It is a non-experimental and transactional correlational study because all variables were measured at a single moment, and it sought to establish relationships between variables without assuming causality. The sample of secondary school students consisted of 2277 students, belonging to the public, subsidized, and private schools. Strong relationships were observed between INTP and ED, the strongest correlations being with the variables depression and anxiety. In addition, female participants presented greater problems in ED and INTP.