Experiencing financial difficulties at university may increase the risk of female students developing an eating disorder, according to new research from researchers in the Faculty of Social and Human Sciences.
Conversely, the study also found that having extreme attitudes to food and eating predicted short-term financial difficulties for female students, suggesting the possibility of a ‘vicious cycle’ occurring.
Clinical Psychologist and lead author of the study, Dr Thomas Richardson, says:
“There may be a ‘vicious cycle’ for these students, where negative attitudes towards eating increase the risk of financial difficulties in the short term, and those difficulties further exacerbate negative eating attitudes in the longer term.”
Over 400 undergraduate students, from universities across the UK, completed surveys assessing family affluence, recent financial difficulties (for example being unable to afford heating or having to borrow money) and attitudes towards food and eating using the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT).
You can find out more information about the research here.