Kristina A DeMuth ’11

Identifying the Characteristics of Eating Disorders Not Otherwise Specified (EDNOS) in a Community Sample

The Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (EDNOS) is the catch-all diagnosis for those that do not meet all criteria for Anorexia or Bulimia, and it is the most commonly diagnosed eating disorder in both clinical and community samples. However, the current diagnostic system fails to define criteria for EDNOS causing it to appear as a "less severe" diagnosis. An online survey, available via social networking sites, is composed of several scales: The Eating Disorder Diagnostic Scale, Eating Disorder Quality of Life Scale, The Satisfaction with Life Scale, Brief Screen for Depression, The Mini-IPIP scale, as well as questions about treatment, diagnosis, insurance coverage, and behavioral patterns. The survey will compare the characteristics of individuals with EDNOS to individuals with Anorexia and Bulimia to determine commonalities among the diagnostic groups, as well as issues with insurance coverage and treatment issues. An eating disorders severity index created from items in the survey will be used to assess the variance in psychopathology among the diagnoses, as well as the body mass indexes.

Research Advisors:  Linda Shepherd, MPH, RDN, LD, and Richard Wielkiewicz, PhD, Psychology