Dataset Information

The changing demographic profile of eating disorder behaviors in the community.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The perception that eating disorders occur predominantly in young white upper-class women has been challenged. This study examined temporal differences to the demographic correlates of eating disorder behaviors over a 10-year period.

Methods

Data from cross-sectional general population surveys in 1998 (n = 3010) and 2008 (n = 3034) were collected on demographics (sex, age, income, residency), current eating disorder behaviors (binge eating, extreme dieting, purging), and health-related quality of life (SF-36).

Results

Below-median annual household income was associated with increased prevalence rates from 1998 to 2008 in binge eating, extreme dieting, and purging. Male sex was associated with increased prevalence rates in extreme dieting and purging. Age over 45 years was associated with increased prevalence rates in purging. In 2008 versus 1998, binge eating was associated with greater mental health-related quality of life impairment in males but not females; and greater physical health-related quality of life impairment in regional but not metropolitan areas. Extreme dieting was also associated with greater physical health-related quality of life impairment in 2008 versus 1998 in the lower but not the higher socioeconomic sector.

Conclusions

Findings suggest the 'democratization' of disordered eating, with greatest levels of associated impairment being within marginalized demographic sectors. Implications include the need for broader intervention programs and recruitment of demographically representative samples in eating disorder research.

SUBMITTER: Mitchison D

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4246495 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

The changing demographic profile of eating disorder behaviors in the community.

Mitchison Deborah D Hay Phillipa P Slewa-Younan Shameran S Mond Jonathan J

BMC public health 20140911

<h4>Background</h4>The perception that eating disorders occur predominantly in young white upper-class women has been challenged. This study examined temporal differences to the demographic correlates of eating disorder behaviors over a 10-year period.<h4>Methods</h4>Data from cross-sectional general population surveys in 1998 (n = 3010) and 2008 (n = 3034) were collected on demographics (sex, age, income, residency), current eating disorder behaviors (binge eating, extreme dieting, purging), an ...[more]

PMID: 25213544

Similar Datasets

Project description:ObjectivesElevated glucose variability may be one mechanism that increases risk for significant psychological and physiological health conditions among individuals with binge-spectrum eating disorders (B-EDs), given the impact of eating disorder (ED) behaviors on blood glucose levels. This study aimed to characterize glucose variability among individuals with B-EDs compared with age-matched, sex-matched, and body mass index-matched controls, and investigate the association between frequency of ED behaviors and glucose variability.MethodsParticipants were 52 individuals with B-EDs and 22 controls who wore continuous glucose monitors to measure blood glucose levels and completed ecological momentary assessment surveys to measure ED behaviors for 1 week. Independent samples t-tests compared individuals with B-EDs and controls and multiple linear regression models examined the association between ED behaviors and glucose variability.ResultsIndividuals with B-EDs demonstrated numerically higher glucose variability than controls (t = 1.42, p = .08, d = 0.43), although this difference was not statistically significant. When controlling for covariates, frequency of ED behaviors was significantly, positively associated with glucose variability (t = 3.17, p = .003) with medium effect size (f2 = 0.25). Post hoc analyses indicated that binge eating frequency was significantly associated with glucose variability, while episodes of 5+ hours without eating were not.DiscussionGlucose variability among individuals with B-EDs appears to be positively associated with engagement in ED behaviors, particularly binge eating. Glucose variability may be an important mechanism by which adverse health outcomes occur at elevated rates in B-EDs and warrants future study.Public significanceThis study suggests that some individuals with binge ED and bulimia nervosa may experience elevated glucose variability, a physiological symptom that is linked to a number of adverse health consequences. The degree of elevation in glucose variability is positive associated with frequency of eating disorder behaviors, especially binge eating.

Project description:Binge eating is a core diagnostic feature of bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, anorexia nervosa binge/purge type, and is a common feature of "other specified" and "unspecified" feeding and eating disorders. It has been suggested that specific metacognitive beliefs about food, eating, and binge eating may play a key role in the maintenance of binge eating behaviour. The Eating Beliefs Questionnaire (EBQ-18) provides a brief self-report assessment tool measuring three types of metacognitive beliefs: negative, positive, and permissive beliefs about food and eating. This study aimed to build on past research by validating the factor structure and psychometric properties of the EBQ-18 using both a clinical and non-clinical sample. A sample of 688 participants (n = 498 non-clinical participants, n = 161 participants seeking treatment for an eating disorder, and n = 29 participants seeking treatment for obesity) completed a battery of questionnaires, including the EBQ-18 and other measures of eating disorder symptoms and relevant constructs. A subset of 100 non-clinical participants completed the test battery again after an interval of two-weeks, and 38 clinical participants completed the EBQ-18 before and after receiving psychological treatment for their eating disorder. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted and psychometric properties of this measure were assessed. The results of this study provide support for the three-factor model of the EBQ-18. In addition, the EBQ-18 was found to be a valid and reliable measure, with excellent internal consistency, good test-retest reliability in the non-clinical sample, and also demonstrated evidence of sensitivity to treatment in clinical samples with binge eating pathology. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were used to identify optimal cut-off scores for the EBQ-18. This study provides valuable information about the utility of the EBQ-18 as a measure for use in both clinical and research settings.

Dataset Information

The changing demographic profile of eating disorder behaviors in the community.

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

The changing demographic profile of eating disorder behaviors in the community.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets