Searching for Eating Disorder-related Topics on the Internet: What Distinguishes Symptomatic from Asymptomatic Women?

摘要

The purpose of this study was to examine what topics searched on the Internet can differentiate between women symptomatic and asymptomatic for eating disorder (ED). Two-hundred-twenty-eight women (M_(age) = 30.5 ±9.43) completed a measure of ED and frequency of online seeking for ED-related topics. ED symptomatic women more frequently searched ED-related topics online. The most discriminating topic was Food, which was accentuated among women who recently experienced significant weight-loss and those who reported food dominance in their life. More attention should be devoted to Internet use in women since this online searching behavior might be a good indicator of potential ED.