Risk factors of disordered eating in adolescent girls from a community sample: a multidimensional approach

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Eating disorders (ED) are severe, chronic and complex in nature mental illness difficult to treat. One of the areas of ED prevention is screening among adolescents to prevent the development of clinical forms of ED in risk groups.
 AIMS: 1) to investigate the prevalence of ED risk among adolescent girls and compare subgroups at high and low risk of ED; 2) to investigate using a multidimensional approach those variables that can interact with temperament and character traits to predict ED symptomatology.
 METHODS: The cross-sectional observational self-report study of a community sample of adolescent girls 12-17 years old (n=298; M=14.771.13) was carried out in Ryazan city. The Russian versions of Eating Attitudes Test and Cloningers Temperament and Character Inventory-Revised were used. In addition, an original questionnaire (Risk Factors of Eating Disorders) was developed. Regression models (to test for significant moderations) and path analysis (to test significant mediations) were used.
 RESULTS: Girls with ED risk are characterized by high weight concerns and body dissatisfaction, low self-directedness, higher novelty seeking and tendency to higher harm avoidance, high alexithymia, self-distrust, negative emotionality and family relationships dissatisfaction, low self-esteem and tendencies to higher perfectionism and risk behavior. Significant moderations were obtained between the following ED risk factors: 1) self-distrust/risk behavior and BMI; 2) alexithymia/negative emotionality/self-esteem and cooperativeness; 3) negative emotionality/risk behavior and self-transcendence. Family relationship dissatisfaction mediates association between self-directedness/cooperativeness/self-transcendence and disordered eating.
 CONCLUSION: There are various mutual influences between the numerous ED risk and prevention factors, which determine the paths between the predictor and the outcome.