Eating disorder features in indigenous Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australian Peoples

BMC Public Health

Table 1 Comparative demographic and eating disorder features for the 2005 and 2008 surveys

		2005					2008
	Non-Indigenous	Indigenous			Non-Indigenous	Indigenous
	n = 2962	n = 85			n = 2964	n = 70
	n (%)		χ², df = 1	p	n (%)		χ², df = 1	p
Female	1498 (51)	55 (65)	6.60	0.01	1519 (54)	36 (51)	0.001	0.80
Regular binge eating^1,	²204 (6.9%)	14 (17%)	11.4	0.001^f3	143 (4.8%)	6 (8.5%)	2.06	0.16^f3
Regular subjective binge eating^1,2	-	-	-	-	53 (1.9%)	4 (5.7%)	5.56	0.04^f3
Regular¹ dieting²	132 (4.5%)	8 (9.4%)	4.6	0.06	97 (3.3%)	4 (5.7%)	1.33	0.29^f3
Regular¹ purging²	45 (1.5%)	2 (2.4%)	n.a.		29 (1.0%)	1 (1.4%)	n.a	n.a
Unemployed or out of work for	-	-	-		126 (4.3%)	4 (5.7%)	0.36	0.35
health reasons
	Mean (SD)		df, t	p	Mean (SD)		df, t	p
Age/years	45.3 (18.8)	39.2 (16.7)	3045, 2.9	0.003	46.0 (8.9)	37.4 (18.3)	3032, 3.8	< 0.001
BMI/kg/m² (n = 2813)	26.1 (5.3)	26.6 (5.6)	2811, -.99	0.32	26.5 (5.3)	28.1 (5.6)	2754, -2.1	0.04
	Median (IQ range)		Z	p	Median (IQ range)		Z	p
Annual income/x$10 K	> 5-6 (> 3-4, > 8)	> 4-5 (> 2-3, > 8)	-2.9	0.003	> 6-8 (> 3-4, > 10)	> 8-10 (> 3-4, > 10)	-0.45	0.65
Highest Education⁴	5 (3, 7)	4 (3, 7)	-0.22	0.826	5 (3, 7)	5 (2, 6)	-2.01	0.04
Weight/shape importance	0 (0, 3)	1 (0, 4)	-3.5	0.001	3 (0, 4)	2 (0, 4)	-1.03	0.30
Days out of role	0 (0, 0)	0 (0, 2)	-2.2	0.032	-	-	-	-

All results were adjusted for cluster sampling and weighted according to census data.
1. Current and regular was defined as the behavior occurring at least weekly over the three months prior to the interview;
2. Binge eating was described as episodes of overeating, namely eating an unusually large amount of food in one go and at the time feeling that the eating was out of control, (i.e. it could not be prevented or stopped) [16]; Subjective binge eating was when others might not agree the amount of food was unusually large [14]; Purging was described as a weight control method comprising the use of laxatives, diuretics (water tablets), or self-induced vomiting; Strict dieting was described as "going on a very strict diet", and fasting as "eating hardly anything at all for a time", both for the purpose of weight or shape control;
3. f = Fishers exact statistic
4. Highest education: 1 = still at school, 2 = Left school at 15 years or less, 3 = Left school after age 15 but still studying, 4 = Trade qualification/apprenticeship, 5 = Certificate/Diploma - one year full time or less, 6 = Certificate/Diploma - more than one year full time, 7 = Bachelor degree or higher.

ISSN: 1471-2458