The Development of Disordered Eating in Male Adolescents: A Systematic Review of Prospective Longitudinal Studies

Abstract

A lack of research exists about the development of disordered eating in adolescent males. A systematic review was undertaken with the primary aim of identifying psychosocial risk factors that are prospectively associated with the development of disordered eating attitudes and behavior in adolescent males. The review’s secondary aim was to appraise the appropriateness of the psychometric assessment measures used to identify those risk factors. Electronic databases Scopus (Elsevier), PsycINFO (EBSCO), PsycARTICLES, Medline (Ovid), Web of Science Core Collection and Pubmed (Thomson Reuters) were searched for prospective longitudinal research involving 11–19 year-old adolescents that was published between 2010 and 2022. Twenty-one publications met inclusion criteria and thirty-five factors including fourteen psychological factors, ten body appearance factors, four sociocultural factors, three familial and four peer factors were identified as prospectively associated with the development of disordered eating attitudes and behavior in male adolescents. The psychometric assessment measures used to identify those factors, together with the proportion of female respondents upon whose data the measures were based, were critically appraised. Accurate assessment is imperative in generating reliable and valid research and informing clinical practice. Existing female-centric psychometric assessments normed predominantly on female participants may not be appropriate for use with adolescent males.

ERP correlates of self‐referential processing moderate the association between pubertal status and disordered eating in preadolescence

“…More advanced pubertal status or early pubertal timing is associated with increased disordered eating behaviors and attitudes in girls and boys, supported by both cross-sectional and longitudinal studies (see reviews Byrne et al, 2023;Klump, 2013). However, the linkage between puberty and eating pathology appears to be more consistent and stronger in girls than in boys, potentially due to different factors, e.g., the traditional femalecentric theorization and assessment of eating pathology (e.g., the thinness-oriented versus mascularity-oriented ideal in females versus males; Byrne et al, 2023;Lavender et al, 2017;Murray et al, 2017). This suggests that although the processes by which puberty relates to eating pathology may differ with sex, overall body dissatisfaction remains a common trait of eating pathology that is associated with pubertal status in both boys and girls.…”

“…Pubertal development is found to be linked with elevated psychopathology in multiple domains, including disordered eating attitudes and behaviors (Mendle, 2014). More advanced pubertal status or early pubertal timing is associated with increased disordered eating behaviors and attitudes in girls and boys, supported by both cross-sectional and longitudinal studies (see reviews Byrne et al, 2023;Klump, 2013). However, the linkage between puberty and eating pathology appears to be more consistent and stronger in girls than in boys, potentially due to different factors, e.g., the traditional femalecentric theorization and assessment of eating pathology (e.g., the thinness-oriented versus mascularity-oriented ideal in females versus males; Byrne et al, 2023;Lavender et al, 2017;Murray et al, 2017).…”

“…Further, many of the existing studies had a focus on girls (e.g., Klump et al, 2017;Swarr & Richards, 1996;Vo et al, 2021). Given that adolescent boys also experience disordered eating, especially following puberty (Byrne et al, 2023;Dominé et al, 2009), it is important to include both sexes when studying the relationships between different risk factors and eating pathology.…”

“…Further, these studies were exclusively conducted in female adults with a focus on negative self-referential processing. Considering the importance of preadolescence in the development of eating pathology (Murray et al, 2022;Sacrato et al, 2010;Striegel-Moore et al, 1995) and the fact that boys also develop eating problems following puberty (Byrne et al, 2023;Dominé et al, 2009), it is important to study the preadolescent population with both sexes included. Other than negative self-referential processing, positive selfreferential processing may also play an important role in the development of eating pathology.…”

“…A most important feature of preadolescence is the beginning of pubertal development. For both sexes, the onset of puberty signifies remarkable, lasting changes in multiple domains and is known to play an important role in the development of eating pathology; for example, more advanced pubertal status is associated with greater eating problems in girls and boys (Byrne et al, 2023;Klump, 2013).…”