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Physical activity and the drive to exercise in anorexia nervosa
Author(s) -
Keyes Alexandra,
WoerwagMehta Sabine,
Bartholdy Savani,
Koskina Antonia,
Middleton Benita,
Connan Frances,
Webster Peter,
Schmidt Ulrike,
Campbell Iain C.
Publication year - 2015
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.22354
Subject(s) - anorexia nervosa , anxiety , psychopathology , psychology , actigraphy , depression (economics) , physical activity , eating disorders , clinical psychology , psychiatry , medicine , physical therapy , economics , macroeconomics , insomnia
Objectives To investigate physical activity (PA) and drive for exercise in anorexia nervosa (AN) in relation to eating disorder (ED) pathology and anxiety. Method Female participants were recruited into four groups: AN outpatients ( n = 37), AN inpatients ( n = 18), an anxiety group ( n = 34), and healthy controls (HCs; n = 30). PA was measured by actigraphy and self‐report together with drive/reasons for exercise, ED pathology, anxiety, depression, stress, BMI, and body composition. Results ED psychopathology, general psychopathology, and physiological measures were consistent with diagnosis. All groups showed a wide range in activity, especially on self‐report. No significant group differences were observed in objective PA levels, yet AN groups reported 57–92% higher total activity than HCs. Outpatients reported more walking and moderate exercise than HCs, and inpatients reported more walking but less moderate and vigorous activity than all other groups. AN groups had significantly higher drive to exercise and valued “improving tone” as important and health and enjoyment as less important reasons to exercise. Discussion Self‐perceived activity rather than objective data may partly explain the increased activity reported in AN. Drive to exercise in AN appears to be more related to ED pathology than to anxiety. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Int J Eat Disord 2015; 48:46–54)