Eating alone, parents’ marital status, and use of radio and girls’ magazines were risk factors for eating disorders
QUESTION: Are parental, mass media, sociodemographic, and psychosocial variables associated with an increased risk of developing an eating disorder (ED) in girls?
Design
Community cohort study with 18 months of follow up.
Setting
Navarra, Spain.
Participants
2862 girls who were 12–21 years of age {mean age 15.5 y}* and did not have an ED according to DSM-IV criteria.
Assessment of risk factors
Parental characteristics, mass media exposures, and other sociodemographic and lifestyle characteristics were assessed by self completed questionnaires. A validated, 36 item scale was used to assess 4 components of self esteem: social, emotional, familial, and academic.
Main outcome measure
Main outcome was ED. Girls who scored >21 on the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT) were referred to psychiatrists who made ED diagnoses according to DSM-IV criteria …
