How changing life roles predict eating disorder pathology over 30-year follow-up.

Abstract

Epidemiological data support higher prevalence of eating disorders in midlife than previously believed. Yet, few studies have examined risk factors unique to adult development. The present study examined how changes in life roles (educational, marital, and parental status) predicted disordered eating as participants transitioned from their 20s to their 50s. Participants (N = 624 women and N = 276 men) completed baseline assessments in college and at 10-, 20-, and 30-year follow-up, with 72% of women and 67% of men completing 30-year follow-up. Multilevel models examined how changes in life roles predicted changes in disordered eating. For women, obtaining a graduate degree predicted decreased eating pathology initially but over time predicted subsequent increases in Drive for Thinness. Men’s eating pathology was not affected by obtaining a graduate degree. Changes in marital status demonstrated no significant association with disordered eating for either gender. Becoming a parent predicted a significant decrease in Drive for Thinness at the subsequent assessment but no further declines with age, whereas those who never had children showed significant decreases in both Drive for Thinness and Bulimia with age. For both women and men, becoming a parent may decrease the importance of shape and weight as sources of self-evaluation. However, women obtaining advanced degrees and parents may experience shifts in eating pathology related to the “Career-and-Care-Crunch” according to Mehta and colleagues’ (2020) recent conceptualization of adult developmental stages. Pending independent replication, future research might design interventions for those whose role transitions put them at greater risk for disordered eating during midlife.

Associations of broad eating disorder symptoms with later alcohol problems in Finnish adult twins: A nationwide 10‐year follow‐up

“…Based on prior literature, we chose age, gender, education, smoking and marital status as covariates. High education has been suggested to be a risk factor for eating disorders (Goodman et al, 2014; Wick et al, 2021), and low education is associated with alcohol problems (Latvala et al, 2011) although not consistently with alcohol use disorders (Peña et al, 2018; Teesson et al, 2010). Smoking is associated with alcohol problems (Drobes, 2002), and they share common genetic liability (Hatoum et al, 2022).…”

Transtornos Alimentares: Vivências de Mulheres Acima de 30 Anos

“…Outro aspecto importante nesta área de estudo é entender se (e como) os TAs se modificam ao longo da vida, o que se mostra exequível por meio de delineamento longitudinal. Dessa maneira, pesquisas com follow-up de 10, 20 e 30 anos acompanharam indivíduos com TAs, em sua maioria publicadas recentemente (Brown, Forney, Klein, Grillot, & Keel, 2020;Dobrescu et al, 2020;Fichter, Quadflieg, Crosby, & Koch, 2017;Keel et al, 2010;Wick, Brown, Fitzgerald, & Keel, 2021). Os principais achados foram: mulheres que mantiveram os sintomas de TAs por volta dos 30 anos continuaram a manifestá-los aos 50 anos; por outro lado, ao longo dos anos observou-se redução na gravidade da psicopatologia, com diminuição do desejo de magreza, assim como um arrefecimento dos sintomas bulímicos.…”