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Premenstrual symptoms as a marker of ovarian hormone sensitivity in eating disorders
Author(s) -
Hardin Sabrina L.,
Thornton Laura M.,
MunnChernoff Melissa A.,
Baker Jessica H.
Publication year - 2020
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.23213
Subject(s) - eating disorders , psychology , hormone , endocrinology , medicine , clinical psychology
Objective Research indicates a link between ovarian hormones and eating pathology, suggesting that some women with an eating disorder may be ovarian hormone sensitive. Using premenstrual symptoms (PMS) as an indirect measure of ovarian hormone sensitivity, we investigated the association between 11 PMS domains and four core eating disorder symptoms: body dissatisfaction, binge eating, purging, and restriction. Method Participants were young adult women ( N = 455) who completed an online survey. PMS were assessed using the Daily Record of Severity of Problems and eating pathology with the Eating Pathology Symptoms Inventory. Pearson correlations were calculated between PMS domains and eating disorder symptoms followed by a stepwise regression to create a more refined model for each eating disorder symptom, including relevant covariates. Results Significant correlations between a majority of eating disorder symptoms and PMS emerged ( r 's = .13–.37; p < .01). Backward regression revealed significant PMS domain predictors for each symptom. The final models captured a small‐to‐moderate amount of variance for each eating disorder symptom ( R 2 = 0.06–0.25). Discussion Women who experience physical and psychological PMS may be at risk for eating disorder symptoms; PMS could be a marker of ovarian hormone sensitivity in women at risk for an eating disorder. Future studies should address mechanisms underlying this association.