A preliminary population-based twin study of self-reported eating disorder.
BACKGROUND
Twin studies have concluded that there is a substantial genetic contribution to the aetiology of eating disorders. The aim of the present study was to estimate the genetic contribution to the aetiology of self-reported eating disorders in a sample of representative twins.


METHODS
A population cohort of 34142 young Danish twins was screened for eating disorders by a mailed questionnaire.


RESULTS
Concordance rates differed significantly across monozygotic and dizygotic twin pairs for broadly defined self-reported anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Heritability estimates of 0.48, 0.52 and 0.61 respectively were estimated for narrow and broad definitions of self-reported anorexia nervosa and for self-reported bulimia nervosa.


CONCLUSIONS
There is a genetic contribution to the aetiology of self-reported eating disorders in the general population. The relationship between self-reported and clinical eating disorder remains to be examined.
Department of Child Psychiatry, Institute of Clinical Research, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Southern Denmark, Odense University.
L S
LS
Kortegaard
K
K
Hoerder
J
J
Joergensen
C
C
Gillberg
K O
KO
Kyvik
D000328:Adult; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012042:Registries; D012647:Self-Assessment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014427:Twins / Q000523:psychology*