Later Development Of Eating Disorder Research Articles

Is childhood OCD a risk factor for eating disorders later in life? A longitudinal study

It has been suggested that childhood obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) may be a risk factor for the development of an eating disorder (ED) later in life, but prospective studies are lacking. We aimed to determine the prevalence of ED at follow-up and clinical predictors in a longitudinal clinical sample of adolescents/young adults diagnosed with OCD in childhood. All contactable (n=231) young people with OCD assessed over 9 years at a national and specialist paediatric OCD clinic were included in this study. At follow-up, 126 (57%) young people and parents completed the ED section of the Developmental and Well-being Assessment. Predictors for ED were investigated using logistic regression. In total, 16 participants (12.7%) had a diagnosis of ED at follow-up. Having an ED was associated with female gender and persistent OCD at follow-up. There was a trend for family history of ED being predictive of ED diagnosis. Five (30%) of those who developed an ED at follow-up had ED symptoms or food-related obsessions/compulsions at baseline. A difference in predictors for an ED versus other anxiety disorders at follow-up was identified. This study provides initial evidence that baseline clinical predictors such as female gender and family history of ED might be specific to the later development of ED in the context of childhood OCD. Clinicians should be alert to ED subthreshold symptoms in young girls presenting with OCD. Future longitudinal studies are needed to clarify the relationship between childhood OCD and later ED.

Structural modeling analysis of prospective risk factors for eating disorder

Many variables have been suggested as possible risk factors for eating disorders (ED), although the validity of these suggestions has seldom been tested causally. The current study tested a pathway model for the development of ED using prospective data from a randomly selected sample of 807 women, aged 18–32 years, from the general population of Sweden. Data was collected using self-report questionnaires with well-established psychometric properties. The cardinal symptoms of binge eating, purging, and fear of weight gain according to the DSM-IV characterized ED. Data supported the hypothesized model suggesting that low self-esteem, low perceived social support from the family, high levels of body concern, and high relative use of escape avoidance coping constitute a risk profile for later development of ED. Given the results and the fact that these risk factors can be modified, their practical utility and clinical significance should be examined in prevention studies.

Prevalence, incidence and prospective risk factors for eating disorders.

To examine the prevalence, incidence and prospective risk factors for eating disorders (ED) among young adult females. Using a prospective design, a randomly selected sample of 1157 females (18-30 years) from the general population was examined with questionnaires for establishing ED diagnoses, self-esteem, body concern, coping and perceived social support. The prevalence of ED was 3.2% and the 2-year first-time incidence was 0.0105 (n=8). Subjects in the extended incidence group (n=34) reported significantly lower self-esteem and perceived social support, and higher body concern and relative use of escape-avoidance coping, at the onset of the study in 1997, compared to controls (n=643). Furthermore, they reported a significant increase in body concern and relative use of escape-avoidance coping, and a significant decrease in self-esteem compared to controls from 1997 to 1999. These factors may be considered as risk factors for later development of ED among young adult women.