The role of family and peer relationships in the development of eating disorders among adolescent girls in Buea Municipality

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the impact of family and peer relationships on the development of eating disorders among adolescent girls in Buea Municipality. The researcher conducted a study involving adolescent girls aged 13 to 19 in order to gain a genuine understanding of the various factors that influence eating disorders in this age group. The researcher employed a descriptive research design and distributed questionnaires to both the caregivers and the adolescent girls. The researcher employed the snowballing sampling technique to select households with adolescent girls, while convenience sampling was utilized to select participants for this research. Questionnaires were administered to a group of 25 caregivers/parents and 25 adolescent girls in order to gather information for the research objectives. After collecting the data, the researcher utilized tables and charts to effectively communicate the findings obtained from the questionnaires. The study findings highlighted the crucial influence of family dynamics, peer pressure, and media exposure on the development of adolescents' eating habits, body image perceptions, and attitudes towards food and weight. A considerable number of participants indicated that their eating behaviors were influenced by their parents, the way their families communicated, and exposure to conversations about dieting and body dissatisfaction. Peer interactions and media exposure were found to have a significant impact on respondents' dietary choices, body satisfaction, and engagement in disordered eating behaviors. Many participants mentioned that peer pressure and social comparison played a role in influencing these aspects of their lives.