The association between secondary amenorrhea and common eating disordered weight control practices in an adolescent population

Abstract

This study examined the relative importance of low weight, in contrast with other symptoms of eating disorder, as a determinant of amenorrhea. A cross-sectional survey was conducted of students at Year 10 (mean age 15.0 years) attending 43 schools in the state of Victoria. Amenorrhea and symptoms of eating disorder were assessed using the Branched Eating Disorders Test, administered through the medium of a notebook computer. The survey response rate was 84% (n = 886). A total of 23% (n = 205) reported either fasting or purging in the previous month. Secondary amenorrhea of at least 3 months duration was reported by 4.1% (n = 35). No statistically significant association was found between amenorrhea and body mass index. In contrast, 40% of amenorrheic subjects reported fasting or purging (P = .03), an association most evident in the heaviest subjects. These finding suggests that secondary amenorrhea may develop in normal and above-weight teenagers who engage in eating disordered weight control practices.