title: The relationship of gender and family environment to eating disorder risk in adolescents.
abstract: Incidence and prevalence rates of both anorexia nervosa and bulimia among adolescents have steadily increased during the past decade. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of gender and family environment to the risk of developing anorexia nervosa or bulimia in adolescents. The Family Environment Scale (FES; Moos & Moos, 1981) and the Setting Conditions for Anorexia Nervosa Scale (SCANS; Slade, Phil, & Dewey, 1986) were used to measure select components of family environment and risk of developing anorexia nervosa or bulimia, respectively. Data were collected from 393 students attending a private secondary boarding school located in central New Jersey. Subjects represented 35 states and 25 countries, had a mean age of 16.3 years, were predominantly Caucasian (75.6%) with a Catholic (27.5%) or Protestant (26.5%) affiliation, and reported a family income in excess of $50,000 (63.9%). Multiple regression using a unique approach revealed a significant relationship between family environment and the risk of developing anorexia nervosa or bulimia in adolescents (p < .01). The FES subscale of expressiveness was the only subscale found to have a significant relationship with the risk of developing anorexia nervosa or bulimia. Female subjects displayed a greater risk than did males (p < .01). Finally, no significant interaction was found between family environment and gender on the risk of developing anorexia nervosa or bulimia in adolescents. Simple correlation of the FES subscales was conducted by means of Pearson product moment and results indicated that lower cohesion, expressiveness, and organization were significantly associated with greater eating disorder risk (p < .01). Lower independence was significantly associated with increased eating disorder risk, but to a lesser degree (p < .05). Greater conflict (p < .01) and control (p < .05) were significantly associated with greater eating disorder risk.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Promotion, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque.
authors.forename: K R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Felker
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stivers
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000523:psychology*; D002032:Bulimia / Q000523:psychology*; D004777:Environment; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires