Studies on prevention of pediatric psychosomatic disorder. - Eating disorders and body image

1999 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

• Project/Area Number: 10672243
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Clinical nursing
• Research Institution: Kagawa Medical University
• Principal Investigator: OGATA Michiko School of Nursing Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa Medical University, Professor, 医学部, 教授 (00228032)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): TANI Yoshie School of medical Science, The University of TOKUSHIMA, Lecturer, 講師 (60253233) ; INOSHITA Hikari School of Nursing Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa Medical University, Assistant Professor, 医学部, 助教授 (30223291) ; KISHI KEIKO (IMAI KEIKO) School of Nursing Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa Medical University, Professor, 医学部, 教授 (00254558)
• Project Period (FY): 1998 – 1999
• Keywords: Pediatric psychosomatic disorder / Eating disorder / Trait factor / Triggering factor / Consistent factor / Body image / Self image / Eating disorder tendency

Research Abstract

The purpose of the study is to obtain basic intervention information on pediatric psychosomatic disorders especially of eating disorders. Twenty cases of children with eating disorders were interviewed to find out causal factors, triggering factors, and consistent factors. Also 554 subjects in Junior High School, Senior High School and College and University were surveyed by questionnaire on body image, self image and trait for eating disorders. Findings were as the following :
Characteristic problems for those who develop eating disorder were persons easily influenced by other's opinions, disturbance with overly concerned with family interpersonal relations (within a family system), and chronic inter personal problems in schools. Direct external triggering factors were friends remarks of obesity, and developmental physical differences. As internal factors, there were feeling of loss, helplessness, low self image, depressive and powerless feeling. The consistent factors were lack of bod ily feeling of accomplishment, a sense of superiority, and a sense of satiety. And fear of obesity, body image disturbance, disturbance of cognition and low level of ego functions were present. As a secondary gain, these children gained power over concerned persons though their rejection of eating. Relating body image, self image and trait of eating disorders for Senior, Junior High School students and College students, the groups which evaluated highly for own weight values, demonstrated high tendency to autism. These groups evaluated physical items low. It was clear that the above mentioned groups had a higher tendency to have eating disorders. Especially for the group with Junior High School girls, it was more predominant with tendency for eating disorders than that of boys. As the result, it was found out that nursing and education for children to attain own psychological and social development were important as prevention of eating disorders (especially children with difficulty in inter personal relationship between mother and child, father and child, among school children and community residents). It is necessary to have good health education during developmental stages for image and self image formation.