title: Eating disorders in youth: diagnostic variability and predictive validity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The primary aim was to examine the utility of DSM-IV criteria in predicting treatment outcome in a sample of adolescents with eating disorders.
  
  
  METHODS
  We (a) descriptively compared the baseline rates of anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN) across multiple reference points for diagnostic criteria, (b) using ROC curve analyses, assessed the sensitivity and specificity of each diagnostic criterion in predicting clinical outcome, and (c) with logistic regression analyses, examined the incremental predictive value of each criterion.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results show a high degree of variability in the baseline diagnostic profiles as a function of the information used to inform each DSM-IV criterion. For AN, Criterion A yielded the best predictive validity, with Criteria B-D providing no significant incremental value. For BN, none of the measures had a significant AUC, and results from logistic regression analyses showed that none of the indicators were robust in predicting outcome.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  For AN, the existing Criterion A is appropriate for children and adolescents, and is sufficient to predict outcome in the context of active refusal to maintain a normal weight as well as multiple informants and behavioral indicators of the psychological aspects of AN. For BN, predictive validity could not be established.
authors.affiliation: Fairleigh Dickinson University, School of Psychology, Teaneck, New Jersey 07666, USA. loeb@fdu.edu
authors.forename: Katharine L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Loeb
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Le Grange
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hildebrandt
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Greif
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lock
authors.forename: Lauren
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Alfano
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D052018:Bulimia Nervosa / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D002648:Child; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012372:ROC Curve; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult