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Child and adolescent predictors for eating disorders in a community population of young adult women
Author(s) -
Moorhead Debra J.,
Stashwick Cecilia K.,
Reinherz Helen Z.,
Giaconia Rose M.,
StreigelMoore Ruth M.,
Paradis Angela D.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
international journal of eating disorders
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.785
H-Index - 138
eISSN - 1098-108X
pISSN - 0276-3478
DOI - 10.1002/eat.10105
Subject(s) - eating disorders , anxiety , depression (economics) , psychology , population , disordered eating , psychiatry , clinical psychology , young adult , longitudinal study , developmental psychology , medicine , environmental health , pathology , economics , macroeconomics
Objective This study investigated early predictors for developing eating disorders by young adulthood in a community sample of women participating in a 22‐year longitudinal study. Method Twenty‐one women were identified at age 27 with lifetime full or partial eating disorders. These women were compared with 47 women with no history of eating disorders on predictive factors from three broad domains. Results The women with eating disorders had more serious health problems before age 5 and mother‐reported anxiety‐depression at age 9. At 15, mothers described them as having more behavior problems. Before age 15, families of the eating disorder group had more histories of depression, eating problems and changes in family financial circumstances. Discussion This study identifies early predictors distinguishing girls who develop eating disorders. Findings point to the need for continued research in the area of early health to comprehensively examine the biologic, behavioral, and environmental risks for eating disorders. © 2002 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 33: 1–9, 2003.