Menarche, puberty, and first sexual activities in eating-disordered patients as compared with a psychiatric and a nonpsychiatric control group.
OBJECTIVE
To examine chronology and experience of menarche, puberty, and first sexual activities in eating-disordered patients as compared with a psychiatric and a nonpsychiatric control group.


METHODS
We interviewed 150 females, namely 50 patients with anorexia or bulimia nervosa (ED), 50 patients with polysubstance dependence (PSD-CO), and 50 healthy controls (HE-CO) (defined by DSM-IV) on chronology and their experience of menarche, puberty, and first sexual activities adjusted for childhood sexual abuse.


RESULTS
ED women were similar to HE-CO in age at menarche and most sexual milestones, but differed significantly from PSD-CO women, who were "early starters." Regarding their experience of menarche, pubertal body changes, and first sexual activities, however, ED women rated these variables significantly more negatively than did either of the comparison groups. These significant differences remained after adjusting for sexual abuse.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest a negative body attitude in ED patients already at pubertal age, namely years before onset of the disorder. Prospective data are needed.
Mangweth-Matzek
Barbara
B
Department of Psychiatry, Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria. barbara.mangweth@i-med.ac.at
Rupp
Claudia Ines
CI
Hausmann
Armand
A
Kemmler
Georg
G
Biebl
Wilfried
W
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001828:Body Image; D052018:Bulimia Nervosa / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003075:Coitus / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008572:Menarche / Q000523:psychology*; D011627:Puberty / Q000523:psychology*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*