Body image in adolescents with disorders of steroidogenesis.
OBJECTIVE
Little is known about body image in children with endocrine conditions. We evaluated body image in children with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), familial male precocious puberty (FMPP), and Cushing's syndrome (CS).


METHODS
We compared 67 patients (41 CAH, 12 FMPP, 14 CS) age 8-18 years with 55 age-matched controls.


RESULTS
Patients expressed more weight unhappiness than controls (females: p < 0.001; males: p = 0.01). This difference remained for females after adjusting for body mass index (BMI) (p = 0.03), but not for males (p = 0.12). Unhappiness with height and age of appearance was similar between groups. In female patients, higher BMI was a significant predictor of weight unhappiness (p = 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Adolescents with CAH, FMPP, and CS are at risk for negative body image regarding weight, but not height or age of appearance. Weight unhappiness is partially related to greater weight, but factors unrelated to physical findings seem to contribute to negative body image in female patients.
Ning
Cong
C
Developmental Endocrinology Branch, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Green-Golan
Liza
L
Stratakis
Constantine A
CA
Leschek
Ellen
E
Sinaii
Ninet
N
Schroth
Elizabeth
E
Ernst
Monique
M
Merke
Deborah P
DP
D000293:Adolescent; D000312:Adrenal Hyperplasia, Congenital / Q000378:metabolism / Q000523:psychology*; D001827:Body Height / Q000502:physiology; D001828:Body Image; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D003480:Cushing Syndrome / Q000378:metabolism / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006240:Happiness; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D011629:Puberty, Precocious / Q000378:metabolism / Q000523:psychology*; D013256:Steroids / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000502:physiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D013256:Steroids