title: Risk factors for disordered eating during early and middle adolescence: prospective evidence from mainland Chinese boys and girls.
abstract: Despite evidence that sociocultural and psychological factors contribute to disordered eating, researchers have yet to examine the extent to which putative risk factors influence vulnerability for girls versus boys within and across phases of adolescence, particularly in non-Western cultures. In this study, early and middle adolescent samples from China (N = 2,909) completed measures of eating disorder pathology and putative risk factors at baseline and were reassessed 12 months later. Among both younger and older girls, elevations in appearance-focused interactions with friends, negative affect, and body dissatisfaction predicted increases in symptomatology at follow-up. In contrast, there was more discontinuity in risk factors relevant to samples of boys. Although media and friendship influences contributed to later disturbances among early adolescent boys, psychological factors, including body dissatisfaction and negative affect, had stronger effects in the multivariate model for older boys. Implications of finding are discussed in relation to adolescent development and a Chinese cultural context.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Southwest University, BeiBei, Chomgqing, 400715, China.
authors.forename: Todd
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D044466:Asian People; D001828:Body Image; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D010379:Peer Group; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012307:Risk Factors; D012649:Self Concept; D012737:Sex Factors