Everyday eating behavior and menstrual function in young women.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the association of different types of everyday eating behavior with disturbances of menstrual function.


METHODS
Prospective cohort study with two groups, low dietary restraint (n = 13) and high dietary restraint (n = 9), identified with the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire by Stunkard and Messick.


METHODS
Research clinic.


METHODS
Normal volunteers (students and young professionals).


METHODS
None.


METHODS
Frequent serum and urine samples for determination of estradiol (E2), progesterone (P), and metabolites. Food and behavioral diaries.


RESULTS
Eleven of the 13 women with low dietary restraint had menstrual cycles that fulfilled the following standard criteria: Serum E2 maximum of 440 pmol/L or more, P maximum of 19 nmol/L or more, and luteal phase length of 9 days or more. Only 2 of the 9 women with high dietary restraint had cycles that satisfied these criteria. Of the remaining 7, 1 had an anovulatory cycle and 6 had decreased P concentrations (P less than 0.05) and/or a shortened luteal phase (P less than 0.02).


CONCLUSIONS
High cognitive restraint in everyday eating behavior may be a risk factor for the development of menstrual disturbance in young women.
Schweiger
U
U
Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Clinical Institute, Division of Psychoneuroendocrinology, Munich, Germany.
Tuschl
R J
RJ
Platte
P
P
Broocks
A
A
Laessle
R G
RG
Pirke
K M
KM
D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D002149:Energy Intake; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D004970:Estrone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000097:blood; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008183:Luteal Phase; D008597:Menstrual Cycle / Q000502:physiology*; D008598:Menstruation / Q000502:physiology*; D011336:Probability; D011374:Progesterone / Q000097:blood; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
C015856:estrone-3-glucuronide; D004970:Estrone; D011374:Progesterone; D004958:Estradiol; D003404:Creatinine