Alessandra Pokrajac-Bulian

• PhD
• Professor (Full) at University of Rijeka

This study investigated the relationship between emotional intelligence (EI) and eating disorder symptoms (EDS) by testing the serial mediation model, with self-esteem and anxiety as mediators. A total of 923 participants (61.9% female) aged 15–60 years completed questionnaires assessing their EI, self-esteem, anxiety, and EDS. Correlational analys...

Poor emotion regulation, along with elevated perfectionism, is recognised as a risk factor for the development of eating disorder (ED) symptoms. Therefore, the aim of our study was to examine the relationship between emotion regulation difficulties and perfectionism with ED symptoms, while controlling for emotional eating, uncontrolled eating, and...

This study examined the mediating role of sociocultural pressures (i.e., parental, peer, significant others, and media) and the internalization of appearance ideals (i.e., thin, muscular, attractive) on the relationship of Body Mass Index (BMI) and exercise frequency to exercise motives (i.e., weight management, appearance, positive health). A tota...

The Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ; Karlsson et al., 2000; Stunkard & Messick, 1985; ) is one of the most used measures of self-assessment of eating behaviours. The basic psychometric characteristics of the Croatian translation of the questionnaire were analysed on a non-clinical sample (Nikolić et al., 2018). Additional examination of the...

The Breast Size Satisfaction Survey (BSSS) was established to assess women’s breast size dissatisfaction and breasted experiences from a cross-national perspective. A total of 18,541 women were recruited from 61 research sites across 40 nations and completed measures of current-ideal breast size discrepancy, as well as measures of theorised anteced...

Objective This study explored the relationship of illness perception with different aspects of cardiac anxiety, general anxiety and depression in a sample of male and female overweight and obese patients with cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Study designThe clinical sample included 165 adults (113 males) aged from 32 to 89 years. The patients were ad...

The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between beliefs about the causes of illness, glycaemic control, and affective status of overweight and obese women and men with type 2 diabetes. The clinical sample included 88 patients (46 males), aged from 31 to 79 years. Patients were examined in the Outpatient Clinic for Endocrinology, Diabet...

Objective: To create and validate a brief questionnaire designed for the assessment of satisfaction with smile aesthetics and to test its efficiency as a patient-centred outcome measure of aesthetic interventions in dentistry. Materials and methods: A team of three specialists - two from prosthodontics and one psychologist - used a self-evaluati...

Body image dissatisfaction is one of the most often researched correlates of overweight and obesity, which is not surprising. In today’s social environment, individuals with obesity are viewed as extremely unattractive, so it is quite understandable that higher weight persons have internalized the negative attitudes of the surroundings, and that su...

Cilj ovog istraživanja bio je evaluacija programa prevencije poremećaja ishrane (Dalle Grave & De Luca, 1999) na prigodnom uzorku adolescentkinja u Srbiji. Ovaj program ima za cilj povećanje znanja o poremećajima ishrane, kao i redukciju ponašanja i navika povezanih sa poremećajima ishrane. U istraživanju su učestvovale 84 učenice, od čega je 57 uč...

The present study investigates the differences in physical health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among overweight and obese people, as well as the correlates of HRQoL in this population and the association between BMI, depression, anxiety, and potential mediating effects of HRQoL. The research was conducted on a sample of overweight and obese adul...

Background: Over the last two decades, due to tragic endings of several professional sport careers, an increasing amount of research has begun to examine the issue of eating disorders in athletes. The prevalence of eating disorder symptomatology seems to be highest in sports that emphasize thinness. The aim of this study was to determine whether th...

Purpose: The study objectives are to investigate the psychometric properties of the Body Uneasiness Test (BUT-A) in a general sample of overweight and obese persons in Croatia, to evaluate structure differences between men and women and to examine the relationship with other measures of body dissatisfaction as well as with objective body mass meas...

Intragastric balloon (IGB) and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) are possible options for weight reduction. The aim of our study was to compare their effectivness in inducing weight loss and metabolic changes accompanying weight loss in non-morbidly obese patients. Subjects were required to be between 18 and 55 years old and to have a BMI between...

The factor structure of the children’s version of the Eating Attitudes Test (ChEAT) and Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26) were examined in Croatian girls of different ages. A self-report survey was given to 225 girls (Grades 5 to 8), 525 high school girls (Grades 9 to 12), and 646 female university students. Factor analysis revealed the existence of f...

Research results indicate systemic odor identification deficits in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The aims of this study were: 1) to compare the ability to identify different odors and to compare cognitive status among patients with AD, patients with vascular dementia (VaD) and a comparison group of elderly persons; 2) to test the efficien...

This study reports results from the first International Body Project (IBP-I), which surveyed 7,434 individuals in 10 major world regions about body weight ideals and body dissatisfaction. Participants completed the female Contour Drawing Figure Rating Scale (CDFRS) and self-reported their exposure to Western and local media. Results indicated there...

The aim of this study was to understand factors leading to binge eating in the student population. concerning some affective. cognitive and situational variables. As a small number of researches tested the Escape theory (Heatherton i Baumeister. 1991). which is very important in understanding binge eating behaviour. this study tried to evaluate the...

This study examined the role of internalization and comparison as mediators of relationships between socio-cultural pressures to be thin, psychological factors, restrictive and bulimic behaviours in college females. Participants were 262 Croatian college females (mean age = 21.22 ± 1.47 years) who completed self-report questionnaires. Regression an...

The aim of the study was to analyse psychological characteristics and medical parameters in obese and overweight to identify the possible psychosocial consequences of obesity that may occur along with the numerous medical problems associated with excess body weight. Analysis was made on 296 patients (103 males and 193 females, median age 50, range...

Eating disorders are the third commonest chronic illness in adolescence, very common in children as well, and should be treated as very serious problem. While bulimia nervosa is more present in girl at late adolescent, the highest incidence for anorexia is for girl in the age of 15-19 year and according to some of the data in this age group in last...

Four hundred and seventy-one girls and young women aged 14 to 23 were surveyed regarding their awareness and internalization of the thin ideal and body dissatisfaction. Measures included the Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ) and the Sociocultural Attitudes towards Appearance Questionnaire (SATAQ). These young women were found to express a large degree...

Dijeta, kao način kontrole tjelesne težine, vrlo je rasprostranjen i široko prihvaćen oblik ponašanja. Prema nekim je autorima to ponašanje toliko učestalo među adolescentima, posebno djevojkama, da se može smatrati normativnim. Percipiranje vlastitoga tijela kao preteškoga značajno je povezano sa stavovima prema vlastitom tijelu, brizi o tjelesnoj...

Schools and education are one of the most sensitive and important issues for the transmission of cultural knowledge and development of attitudes towards one’s own and other groups, as well as towards civil society, human rights and public life in general. Historically, school and family have been used to promote dominant values, beliefs and ways of...

Differences in the health-related quality of life, affective status, and personality between irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease patients Mladenka Tkalč icáicá , Goran Hauser b and Davor S ˘ timac b Objectives To investigate differences in the health-related quality of life (HRQoL), number of stressful life events, affective sta...

Self-reported and measured weight and height of 234 Croatian girls in Grades 5, 8, and 11 were used to explore the validity of these measures for calculating Body Mass Index. For both weight and height, the correlations between self-reported and measured values were over .93. Overweight girls underreported their weight and overreported their height...

Dieting, as a way of controlling body weight, is a widespread and accepted behaviour. According to some authors, the behaviour is so prevalent that it can be thought of as normative behaviour, especially among adolescent girls. Perceiving one’s body as too heavy is correlated with one’s beliefs and attitudes towards the body, worries about body wei...

In the work there are results of research of teachers’ attitudes towards children with hearing problems. An aim of the research was to examine whether those attitudes are positive or negative. A method of theoretical analysis and survey ( research method ) are used in the work, but regarding instruments there is a questionnaire made for the purpose...

The main purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate the efficacy of a schoolbased program of eating disorder prevention on a sample of young adolescents in Croatia. The program was designed to reduce dietary restraint and preoccupation with shape and weight. One hundred and thirty-nine students (69 boys and 70 girls; mean age 12.8 years) were eval...

The aim of this investigation was to study the relationship between unhealthy eating habits and behaviors, perception and acceptance of societal standards regarding thinness, body dissatisfaction, and family and peer pressure to be thin. One hundred and twentythree high school girls from Rijeka (Croatia) were surveyed using Eating Attitudes Test (E...

The prevalence of obesity is rapidly rising in Croatia as throughout the world. Although physiological and genetic factors may contribute, the increased trend in the prevalence of overweight has primarily been attributed to lifestyle. One theoretical framework, Prochaska and DiClemente's (1983) transtheoretical model of health-related behavior chan...

The factor structure of the children's version of the Eating Attitudes Test (ChEAT) and Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26) were examined in Croatian girls of different ages. A self-report survey was given to 225 girls (Grades 5 to 8), 525 high school girls (Grades 9 to 12), and 646 female university students. Factor analysis revealed the existence of f...

A study of body dissatisfaction, as measured by the Figure Rating Scale (Stunkard, Sorenson, & Schlusinger, 1983) and the Body Esteem Scale (Franzoi & Shields, 1984), in 75 college women and their mothers indicated that both daughters and mothers experienced body dissatisfaction. When body size was statistically controlled, either no difference was...

320 Croatian female students (M = 20.4 yr.) were recruited to examine the validity and reliability of figural scales using different numbers of stimuli (3, 5, 7, and 9) and different serial presentation (serial and nonserial order). A two-way analysis of variance (4 numbers × 2 orders of stimuli) was performed on ratings of current self-size and id...

Body dissatisfaction plays a significant role in the development of eating disorders. The aim of the research was to assess dissatisfaction with own body image, satisfaction with specific body parts and body functions and eating habits in college women and their mothers. Mothers also made a retrospective assessment about their feelings at their dau...

Body dissatisfaction plays a significant role in the development of eating disorders. The aim of the research was to assess dissatisfaction with own body image, satisfaction with specific body parts and body functions and eating habits in college women and their mothers. Mothers also made a retrospective assessment about their feelings at their dau...

The main goal of this study was to apply a transtheoretical model in studying the process of change in obese persons. According to the transtheoretical model (Prochaska & DiClemente, 1983), health behavior change involves graduating through stages of readiness: from precontemplation through contemplation and action to maintenance. The psychometric...

The main aim of this research is to explore the relationship between locus of control, self-esteem and body dissatisfaction in the sample of university students, as well as the sex differences among the measures. The Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ), Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and the Externality Scale have been used on the sample of 534 female and...

Body Image is a multidimensional construct which plays a very important role in the development of eating disorders. The purpose of this research was to examine the contribution of global dissatisfaction and affective and cognitive aspects of body image in the development of some symptoms of eating disorders. 270 secondary first and fourth grade sc...

Poremećaji u hranjenju obično nastaju u ranoj adolescenciji, dakle u školskoj dobi, te je od velikog značenja kreiranje efikasnih interventnih programa namijenjenih školskoj primjeni. Cilj ovoga istraživanja bio je provjera efikasnosti programa primarne prevencije poremećaja u hranjenju. Namjera programa bila je redukcija zabrinutosti za izgled i t...

288 Croatian school children, ages 7 to 10 years rated their current and ideal body sizes on Collins' figures and chose the favorite figure for their same- and opposite-sex friends. Girls aged 10 preferred their female friends' figure to be more similar to their own, while boys preferred a friend's to be larger. These findings support cultural idea...

288 Croatian school children, ages 7 to 10 years rated their current and ideal body sizes on Collins' figures and chose the favorite figure for their same- and opposite-sex friends. Girls aged 10 preferred their female friends' figure to be more similar to their own, while boys preferred a friend's to be larger. These findings support cultural idea...

The aim of this investigation was adaptation of Mattis's Dementia Rating Scale and comparison of results among patients with Alzheimer and other types of dementia. Participants were 15 pa-tients (5 women and 10 men) ages 58 to 85. Among them 5 patients diagnosed as having Alz-heimer's type of dementia and 10 diagnosed as other type dementia (vascul...

During the four-year period there were 150 students who asked for individual counselling, mostly females. Eleven of them (10 females and 1 male) asked for help because of eating disorders problems. Those problems were mostly bulimia nervosa, unspecified eating disorders and not so often anorexia nervosa and obesity. In Student counselling center co...

This study examined sexual orientation, body dissatisfaction and eating habits on sample of 306 elementary school students of fifth- and eight- grades. Also body mass index has been calculated. Sexual orientation was tested with modified version of Bem's Sex Role Inventory, body dissatisfaction with child figure drowings, while eating habits were t...

Eating disorders have become relevant social problem because they seriously damage health and in some cases life. Although, they are multifactoral caused, symptoms of this pathology are in large way determinated by accepting new models that are deeply rooted in modern west culture (such as importance of the body, physical appearance beauty and self...

Lack of insight is a core pathological feature of schizophrenia. It has been assumed to be part of the dysregulation of executive dysfunction evident in this disorder. Lack of insight has also been found to be associated with amnestic disorders. As schizophrenia is additionally characterized by memory deficits, we investigated which of the two cogn...

The aim of this research was to determine the structure and presence of dominant problems in the student population. On a sample of 1176 students the scale of students' problems was applied, comprising 60 scaled dominant problems emphasized by students in preliminary examinations. Eight interpretable factors were extracted: anxiety connected with s...

In order to examine the incidence of bulimic symptoms in the student population, a sample of 576 female students of the University of Rijeka completed questionnaire for measuring bulimic symptoms BULIT-22, adapted to the Croatian language. Also used were the adapted measures of the image of one's own body referring to the cognitive-behavioural, aff...

The aim of this research was to determine the structure and presence of dominant problems in the student population. On a sample of 1176 students the scale of students’ problems was applied, comprising 60 scaled dominant problems emphasized by students in preliminary examinations. Eight interpretable factors were extracted: anxiety connected with s...

The questionnaire of styles of handling interpersonal conflicts in two different types of social interaction with a marital partner and with a colleague at work, was presented to a sample of 307 employed subjects. The results obtained show a certain level of stability in handling interpersonal conflicts in both types of interactions. In the interac...

In order to examine the incidence of bulimic symptoms in the student population, a sample of 576 female students of the University of Rijeka completed questionnaire for measuring bulimic symptoms BULIT-22, adapted to the Croatian language. Also used were the adapted measures of the image of one’s own body referring to the cognitivebehavioural, affe...

Percepcija bolesti izravno utječe na ponašanja, strategije suočavanja i emocionalne odgovore na bolest, kao i na tijek tjelesnog i psihičkog oporavka nakon što se bolest već pojavila. Cilj je provedenog istraživanja bio provjeriti konstruktnu i kriterijsku valjanost Ljestvice atribucije uzroka bolesti, koja ispituje kojim sve čimbenicima osobe atri...