title: Association between low height and eating disorders: cause or effect?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Few studies have explored the relationship between stature and eating disorders (ED). We aimed to investigate the connection between height and risk for ED in a cohort of female subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  The sample was composed of 1,031 subjects with ED and 832 controls. All participants belonged to the same birth cohort and were living in the same geographical area.
  
  
  RESULTS
  ED subjects were, on average, shorter than control subjects, independently from the age of onset. In early-onset anorexia nervosa only, age of onset and lowest body mass index were significant predictors of height. In the whole sample, a lower height was associated with an increased risk of having an ED, even after controlling for possible confounding variables.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The association between EDs and low stature is statistically significant. Further studies are necessary to understand which genetic and/or environmental factors might explain this association.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosciences, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Favaro
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tenconi
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Degortes
authors.forename: Manuela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Soave
authors.forename: Tatiana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zanetti
authors.forename: Maria T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Nardi
authors.forename: Lorenza
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Caregaro
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Santonastaso
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D001827:Body Height; D015992:Body Mass Index; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012307:Risk Factors