Body checking in pediatric eating and obsessive-compulsive disorders

Abstract

Background and objectivesEating disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) have high rates of reciprocal comorbidity, and appear to have shared etiological factors. Body checking has been proposed as behavior that is associated with both obsessive-compulsive and eating disorder symptoms. The current study was designed to assess body checking, eating disorder, and OCD symptoms in a combined pediatric sample. MethodsA sample of children and adolescents in treatment for eating disorders (n = 97), OCD (n = 54), and a school-based comparison sample (n = 333) completed measures of obsessive-compulsive symptoms, eating disorder symptoms, and body checking. ResultsCompared to school-based and eating disorder groups, the sample of children and adolescents with OCD reported significantly less body checking and avoidance, as well as eating disorder symptoms. ConclusionsIn contrast to the prediction that those with OCD would exhibit higher levels of body checking and avoidance behaviors than a school-based comparison group, children and adolescents with OCD reported less body checking and other eating disorder symptoms than the school-based sample. The implications for assessment and treatment will be discussed.