Eating Attitudes and Behaviors of Orthodox Girls in Grades 3-8

205 Orthodox Jewish girls in grades 3-8 attending both coeducational and girls-only schools were conveniently sampled in a cross sectional correlational survey study to examine the relationship between parental attitudes about weight and shape, peer influence, body esteem, self esteem, media influence, and disturbed eating attitudes and behaviors. Finding suggested that high levels of total eating behaviors were associated with high levels of media and parent influence and low levels of body esteem. No relationship was found between total disordered eating behavior and peer influence or self esteem. Results of secondary analyses indicated that body esteem mediated the relationship of sociocultural influence and self esteem with disordered eating behaviors. In addition, secondary analysis indicated that statistically significant differences based on age and school type were found in several areas.