Risk Education for Prevention of Eating Disorders among Korean American Women

Abstract

Purpose. The purpose of this Doctoral of Nursing Practice (DNP) project was toimplement and evaluate an in-person educational session to enhance knowledge about eating disorders, risks, and resources through a culturally appropriate manner to a community Korean American women’s group. It is also aimed to raise cultural awareness towards weight stigma among Korean American women. Background: Eating disorders are a mental illness that includes tenacious behaviorassociated with cruel mentality towards oneself. There are three different types of eating disorders: anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), and binge-eating disorder (BED). Body image and perceptions of a normal body weight can be altered from cultural and societal pressures. Korean American women are at high risk for disordered eating and distorted body image due to their culture’s unrealistic goals of body weight. Research on Korean American and eating disorders are limited, and the need for proper risk interventions are critical to prevent adverse health outcomes. Methods. An in-person educational session was implemented for Korean Americanwomen attending a Korean local church in Phoenix, AZ. A quantitative pretest and posttest, EAT-26, and a satisfaction survey were handed out to evaluate the participants’ knowledge about eating disorders. A total of 20 participants attended and responded to the implementation. Results. The project successfully improved the participants’ knowledge on eating disorders. The correct answers of the posttest doubled those of the pretest. EAT-26 scores revealed the possible risk for an eating disorder based on attitudes, feelings, and behaviors. All twenty women answered to being at high risk for an eating disorder at some point in their lives.Participants were satisfied with the presentation content as assessed through the survey. Conclusion. The PowerPoint education was an effective tool to increase KoreanAmerican women’s knowledge on eating disorders. The participants were able to identify the risks and resources for eating disorders. Future practice recommendations include educating providers in clinics to provide culturally appropriate care for patients dealing with eating disorders.