Eating problems, body image disturbances, and academic achievement: preliminary evaluation of the eating and body image disturbances academic interference scale

Objective: To examine the relationships between a new scale, the Eating and Body Image Disturbances Academic Interference Scale (EBIDAIS), and measures of eating disturbance, body image, and academic achievement. Method: One thousand five hundred eighty-four college undergraduates completed the measures in an online survey and were awarded class credit for their participation. Measures included the Eating Disorder Inventory Bulimia, Drive for Thinness, Body Dissatisfaction, and Perfectionism subscales. Grade point average (GPA) was also reported. Results: Academic interference and GPA were significantly correlated, indicating that higher interference scores were related to lower GPA. EBIDAIS was also significantly correlated with drive for thinness, bulimia, and body dissatisfaction, but was not significantly associated with perfectionism. The correlation between interference and GPA was substantially higher for a subsample of individuals who scored in the elevated range on eating and body dissatisfaction. Conclusion: Academic interference may be a relatively unexamined, but potentially important, outcome for individuals who experience eating problems and body image disturbance. (c) 2007 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.