title: Self-image and eating disorder symptoms in normal and clinical adolescents.
abstract: Eating disorders (ED) are psychiatric disorders of multifactorial origin, predominantly appearing in adolescence. Negative self-image is identified as risk factor, but the association between self-image and ED in adolescents or sex differences regarding such associations remains unclear. The study aimed to investigate the relationship between specific self-image aspects and ED symptoms in normal and clinical adolescents, including sex differences. Participants included 855 ED patients (girls=813, boys=42) and 482 normal adolescents (girls=238, boys=244), 13-15 years. Stepwise regression demonstrated strong associations between self-image and ED in normal adolescents (girls: R(2)=.31, boys: R(2)=.08), and stronger associations in patients (girls: R(2)=.64, boys: R(2)=.69). Qualitative sex differences were observed in patients. Connections between specific self-image aspects and ED have implications for clinical management of ED. The strong link between self-image variables and ED symptoms in normal girls, but not boys, is discussed in terms of the continuity-discontinuity hypothesis.
authors.affiliation: Karolinska Institute, Dept. of Clinical Neuroscience, Resource Center for Eating Disorders, Norra Stationsgatan 69, Plan 7, 113 64 Stockholm, Sweden. Electronic address: emma.forsen@ki.se.
authors.forename: Emma
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Forsén Mantilla
authors.affiliation: Uppsala University, Dept. of Psychology, S:t Olofsgatan 10B, 753 12 Uppsala, Sweden. Electronic address: katja.bergsten@psyk.uu.se.
authors.forename: Katja
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bergsten
authors.affiliation: Karolinska Institute, Dept. of Clinical Neuroscience, Resource Center for Eating Disorders, Norra Stationsgatan 69, Plan 7, 113 64 Stockholm, Sweden. Electronic address: andreas.birgegard@ki.se.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Birgegård
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001828:Body Image / Q000523:psychology*; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D012649:Self Concept; D012737:Sex Factors; D013548:Sweden
keywords: Adolescents; Eating disorder; Gender differences; SASB; Self-image