Research Proposal on "Teenage Girls With Eating Disorders"

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Background of the study

In the past 3 decades, there has been an ever increasing interest in the link between eating disorders, depression and low self-esteem. Numerous studies have confirmed that the higher the levels of depression and low self-esteem, the higher the addiction to a certain category of eating disorder. This level of consistency between higher depression levels, lower self-esteem and the extreme condition of eating disorders has led many researchers to believe that there is a definite and interdependent relation between the three amongst the youth (Karwautz et al., 2003).

Research studies have studied social effects or influences, on eating disorders, depression and low self-esteem. Furthermore, studies have also looked at the impact of economic situation on eating disorders, depression and low self-esteem. When taken into consideration, all these socio-economic dynamics and peripheral factors have been proved to be decisive in the relation between depression, low self-esteem and eating disorders (Nagata et al., 2003; Ribases et al., 2005).

Background on eating disorders and depression

Numerous researchers have included these socio-economic factors and concluded that the association between eating disorders and depression varied with the variation within and amongst culture and gender. In their study they failed to find a significant association between depression and eating disorders amongst the youth of the blacks as well as the Puerto Rican states. On the contrary they found a very strong association between the two factors when researching the white youngsters, and that too amongst the girls more then the boys (Slopien et al., 2004).

Frank and colleagues (2005) in their study also concluded that there was a high amount of socioeconomic status (SES) differentiation between the adolescents who suffered depression due to eating disorders and impact of those disorders on their physical appearance. If the SES and eating disorder percentage was high amongst the white youngsters then they also exhibited a superior level of depression and dejection (the Children's Depression Inventory); whereas the opposite was true for those white youngsters who experienced lower SES and eating disorders levels. This study clearly shows that the social groupings and status play an integral part in the strength of the association between depression and eating disorders amongst the youngsters. Frank and colleagues (2005) also in their study explain that the failure to provide sufficiently successful tactics to solve the eating disorders problems is the lack of understanding of the reasons to indulge in the activity across different cultures and ethnic groups. So in conclusion they asserted that the eating disorders phenomenon is directly related to depression amongst the youngsters in the higher SES group but was not a significant relation amongst the youth in the lower SES group (Frank et al., 2005).

All the studies that have included the socio-economic factors in their analysis of the relation between depression and eating disorders have successfully found a strong relationship between multiple social and economic factors as strong mediators of depression, leading to eating disorders. They have also successfully examined the corresponding variations and degrees of depression. However, few studies have synthesized the research studies on depression so as to give a holistic picture of teenage depression (Bloks et al., 2004).

Background on self-esteem and eating disorders

Numerous researchers have explained that self-esteem was the basic instinct of an individual to approve, like, dislike or value his own qualities as a person. The two diverse philosophies presented in studies on the concept of self-esteem are strongly supported in practical situations. The first philosophy of self-esteem brought forth was from William James. James defined self-esteem to be a direct relation of the success an individual has within a sphere and the priority that the individual attaches to the success achieved in that sphere. The other philosophy of self-esteem brought forth was from C. Horton Cooley. Cooley defined self-esteem as the significance that an individual laid on the social view, especially of the significant others like family and friends, on the acceptance of his personality.

Self-esteem too as been thoroughly studied and its connections with eating disorders amongst teenagers have been widely reported. The vast extents of researches that have been done on the concept of self-esteem have included numerous factors over a period of time. Some of these factors are the level of apprehension, dejection, discontent, anger, isolation and petulance. Tozzi and colleagues (2005) in their study also found a direct influence of high or low self-esteem with the strength of association or closeness with the parents as well as superior academic achievements. Other researchers have also found an encouraging view of the body image or level of self-appeal, domestic level and positioning of power as well as superior family revenues to be significant contributors to the level of self-esteem of an individual (Tozzi et al., 2005).

The process of self-analysis begins at a very young age like early childhood years and then follows through consistently into the adolescent and teenage years. Whatever priorities and decisions are made on what is important and what is not important, including eating patterns, to determine one's self-worth are all dependent upon the numerous differing views and philosophies of self-esteem. For William James, who is a founder of the self-psychology, has defined self-esteem to be a structure based on the opinion an individual has on his/her own capabilities (see Vervaet et al., 2004).

When considering the above definition, the actual decisive factor of one's self-esteem is the association of the perceived capability and the level of success in its application. This factor of capability is what causes the inconsistencies and differences between the objectives, ideals, aims, principles, morals and feats of individuals. The ideals of an individual mainly present the perception of what he/she believes he/she should be or should aim to be or wants to be. Most of these ideals of an individual are influenced by the expectations and targets of the parents during the early childhood years (Mikolajczyk et al., 2004).

Self-esteem, when defined as a weighing scale to measure the self-merit of an individual or as a self-analyzing process has been overtime related to a numerous amount of modification and welfare factors. Some of these factors are academic feats or accomplishments, despair/melancholy/dejection, communal contacts, probability or likelihood of suicidal characteristics or desperation (Wichstrom, 2000), consumption syndromes, behavior syndromes, flexibility to unexpected or hectic happenings, and eating disorders (Scheier, Botvin, Griffin, & Diaz, 2000).

Emler (2001) studied causes and effects of low self-esteem. She synthesized research on self-esteem and studied various factors by analyzing the allocation of the self-esteem ratios between and amongst different social groups like spiritual, socioeconomic, secular, familial structures, and varying interpersonal standpoints or choices. The results are not very good for individuals suffering from low self-esteem. She found that lower levels of self-esteem amongst adolescents, quite often, leads to eating disorders. Other studies too have confirmed these findings over the years.

Chapter 3: Methodology

This chapter will illustrate the methodology that will be used to perform this study. Furthermore, justifications will also be given for choosing this methodology. This chapter has been divided into eight subsections so that all relevant issues can be highlighted and tackled systematically. Cohen, Manion and Morrison (2000) in their book point out that dividing the methodology into subsections converts the general aims of the research into practical and feasible objectives (Cohen, Manion and Morrison, 2000). We begin this section by discussing the main assumptions of this study.

1. Research Philosophy

Researchers base their investigations on certain assumptions, which he/she consider to be true and therefore does… READ MORE