title: Self-esteem, personality, and eating disorders: baseline assessment of a prospective population-based cohort.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the relationship of self-esteem and personality factors with eating disorders (ED).
  
  
  METHODS
  A region-wide representative sample of 2862 girls 12-21 years old from Navarre (Spain) participated in the baseline assessment of a prospective study. A two-stage procedure was used, consisting in a first screening phase followed by a psychiatrist interview (DSM-IV criteria). Multivariable logistic regression models were used to examine the association of self-esteem (36-item scale) and personality characteristics (Eysenck inventory) with psychiatrist-diagnosed ED while controlling for potential confounders.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Strong associations for ED were found with low self-esteem (adjusted odds ratio [adjOR] for the lowest quartile: 7.98, 95% CI: 3.4-18.8) and high levels of neuroticism (adjOR for the highest quartile: 9.49, 95% Cl: 3.7-24.5).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results, although based on a cross-sectional design, support the potential role of neuroticism and low self-esteem in the onset of ED.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, International University of Catalonia (UIC), Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Pilar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gual
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pérez-Gaspar
authors.forename: Miguel Angel
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Martínez-González
authors.forename: Francisca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lahortiga
authors.forename: Jokin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: de Irala-Estévez
authors.forename: Salvador
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cervera-Enguix
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009497:Neurotic Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D010551:Personality; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012649:Self Concept; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology