Compared with Their Childhood Baselines, Adolescents with Attention-deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Have Higher Prevalence Rate of Disordered Eating

Abstract

Abstract Introduction: Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and eating disorders (ED) can coexist. The goal of the current study is to establish if the risk of EDs among participants with ADHD changes as they age. Materials and Methods: A longitudinal follow-up study was designed to determine variables of interest to participants during childhood and adolescence. Data were collected at baseline in 2019 (T1) and later in 2023 (T2). Data collection included demographics, anthropometrics, and risk of ED using a validated tool, which is the eating attitudes test-26 (EAT-26). Results: The mean age of participants was 13 years at baseline, and 13% were female. About 41% were on methylphenidate as a psychostimulant during T1, and this was reduced to 23%, P < 0.001, effect size (ES) = 0.5. The risk for ED was 29.51% at T1, with a mean EAT-26 score of 15 ± 7. The risk for ED was 36% at T2 with a mean EAT-26 score of 17 ± 6. Conclusions: Adolescents with ADHD had a greater prevalence rate of EDs when compared to their childhood baselines. Screening and intervention are therefore essential to reduce the risk of long-term disordered eating in this population.