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Eating disorder symptom trajectories in adolescence: effects of time, participant sex, and early adolescent depressive symptoms
RESULTS: Symptom trajectories varied according to the eating disorder symptom studied, participant sex, and the presence of depressive symptoms in early adolescence. For males, eating disorder symptoms tended to be stable (for purging, fasting and hard exercise) or decreasing (for binge eating and global symptom scores) from 14 to 17 years, and then stable to 20 years. For females, fasting and global symptom scores increased from age 14 to peak in prevalence at age 17. Rates of binge eating in females were stable from age 14 to age 17 and increased significantly thereafter, whilst rates of purging and hard exercise increased from age 14 to age 17, and then remained elevated through to age 20. Depressive symptoms at age 14 impacted on eating disorder symptom trajectories in females, but not in males.
CONCLUSIONS: Prevention, screening and intervention initiatives for adolescent eating disorders need to be tailored to gender and age. Purging behaviour appears to be an important target for work with early to middle adolescent females.
History
Publication title
Journal of Eating DisordersIssue
32Pagination
1-14ISSN
2050-2974Department/School
Menzies Institute for Medical ResearchPublisher
BioMed Central Ltd.Place of publication
United KingdomRepository Status
- Restricted