Family functioning, satisfaction with life and eating disorders in university students

Background: Eating disorders are very frequent among adolescent and young population groups, especially in the female and university population, but they usually vary according to their own characteristics and those of their family. The objective of this research was to study if exists correlation between family functionality, satisfaction with life and eating disorders in a group of students from a private university in Lima. Methods: The study is descriptive, cross-sectional, correlational. The population consisted of 230 students, and a sample of 146 students was randomly selected. The instruments used were the Test of Food Attitudes (EAT-26), Spanish version of Gandarillas, the scale of satisfaction with life (SWLS) and family Apgar. Results: 15.8% of students presented an eating disorder, 13.0% showed dissatisfaction with life; and 58.9% present some family dysfunction. The analysis between the variables shows a significant correlation and correlation between the three study variables (p < 0.05). Conclusions: A correlation between family functionality, satisfaction with life and the presence of eating disorders is evidenced.