Quality of life and eating disorders.

OBJECTIVE: Eating disorders (EDs) can have a serious impact on various life domains and may lead to physical, mental and social impairment and consequently to poor quality of life (QOL). This study compared the QOL of ED patients and former ED patients in a large community based sample to the QOL of a normal reference group and to the QOL of patients with mood disorders. Differences between ED diagnostic groups were examined. The study investigated what factors contribute to QOL. METHODS: A generic health-related quality of life questionnaire, the Short Form-36 (SF-36), and the Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire were administered to 156 ED patients--44 anorexia nervosa patients, 43 bulimia nervosa patients, 69 eating disorder not otherwise specified patients--and 148 former ED patients. RESULTS: ED patients reported significantly poorer QOL than a normal reference group. No differences were found between the diagnostic groups. Former ED patients still had poorer QOL than a normal reference group. ED patients reported significantly poorer QOL than patients with mood disorders. Self esteem contributed most to QOL. CONCLUSION: EDs have a severe impact on many domains of QOL. Therefore QOL needs to be addressed in effectiveness research and clinical practice.

[Gender factors in the selection of training for a medical specialty]. / Genderfactoren in de keus voor opleiding tot medisch specialist.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the choice-making process of male and female doctors regarding their wishes for a career, and their behaviour in the event of their trying to obtain a resident's post. DESIGN: Descriptive. METHODS: An inquiry by telephone was held in 1995 among a group of 600 doctors all graduated from university in 1993 in the Netherlands. Of the respondents (n = 490; 82%) 57% of the female and 63% of the male doctors aspired to become a resident in a hospital. The 293 respondents who wanted to obtain a resident's post were asked for the factors that influenced their choices and to what extent they did. The scores ranked from 1 ('very positively') to 5 ('very negatively'). RESULTS: Within 2 years after graduating from university 26% worked as a resident. In their choice for a specialty male doctors were positively influenced by technology (mean score: 2.9 versus 2.5), status and income (5.9 versus 5.6) and scientific activities (2.4 versus 2.1). Women were more influenced by intensive contact with patients (2.0 versus 1.7), favourable working hours and relatively few shifts (10.9 versus 10.3). Of the women 43% wanted to work part time, as against 14% of the men. While the men preferred an informal approach in looking for a post (38%; formal approach: 29%), women were evenly divided: informal approach 36%, formal approach 36%.