Psychosocial correlates, outcome, and stability of abnormal adolescent eating behavior in community samples of young people.
OBJECTIVE
The current study investigated psychosocial correlates of abnormal adolescent eating behavior at three times during adolescence and young adulthood and its association with psychiatric diagnosis in young adulthood in a community sample.


METHODS
Sixty-four (10.5%) high-risk subjects (mean age 15 years) with abnormal eating behavior were identified at Time 1, another 252 (16.9%) were identified at Time 2 (mean age 16.2 years), and 164 (16.9%) were identified at Time 3 (mean age 19.7 years) and compared with three control groups matched for age and gender. Dependent measures included emotional and behavioral problems, life events, coping capacities, self-related cognition, social network, and family functions. Outcome was measured additionally by structured psychiatric interviews, and stability of abnormal eating behavior was studied in a longitudinal sample of 330 subjects.


RESULTS
Few subjects showed more than one of five criteria of abnormal eating behavior. High-risk subjects shared a very similar pattern at all three times. They were characterized by higher scores for emotional and behavioral problems, more life events including more negative impact, less active coping, lower self-esteem, and less family cohesion. Among 10 major psychiatric disorders, only clinical eating disorders at Time 3 shared a significant association with abnormal eating disorder at the same time whereas high-risk status at Times 1 and 2 did not predict any psychiatric disorder at Time 3. Stability of abnormal eating behavior across time was very low. Stability of abnormal eating behavior across time was very low.


CONCLUSIONS
Abnormal eating behavior in adolescence and young adulthood is clearly associated with various indicators of psychosocial maladaption. In adolescence, it does not significantly predict any psychiatric disorder including eating disorder in young adulthood and it is predominantly a transient feature.
Steinhausen
Hans-Christoph
HC
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Zurich, Neumünsterallee 9/Post Box, CH-8032 Zurich, Switzerland. steinh@kjpd.unizh.ch
Gavez
Silvia
S
Winkler Metzke
Christa
C
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011584:Psychology; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012649:Self Concept; D012647:Self-Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome