Eating disturbances in siblings of patients with eating disorders.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to investigate whether siblings of patients with eating disorders show a more disturbed eating behavior and a higher proneness to associated psychological characteristics than controls.


METHODS
84 patients with eating disorders of an outpatient clinic, their siblings (n=84) and a control group (n=84) with an age range 14-34 for the total sample were evaluated using the Eating Disorder Inventory-2.


RESULTS
There was no significant difference between the siblings and the controls in disturbed eating behavior.


CONCLUSIONS
The existence of an eating disorder in patients does not seem to be related to the development of eating disturbed behavior in their siblings.
Wunderlich
U
U
Max-Planck-Institute of Psychiatry, Therapy Center for Eating Disorders Munich, Germany. ursula.wunderlich@web.de
Gerlinghoff
M
M
Backmund
H
H
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D035781:Siblings / Q000523:psychology*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors