title: Eating Disorders in Adolescents With Chronic Pain.
abstract: Given that youth with chronic pain frequently experience disruptions in eating patterns that may place them at risk for disordered eating, the purpose of this study was to examine the clinical characteristics and illness course of adolescents with chronic pain and comorbid eating disorders.
  
  
  
  Using a retrospective chart review, 34 adolescents with chronic pain and concurrent eating disorders were identified. These adolescents were compared with 34 age-, gender-, and eating disorder symptom-matched adolescents who had an eating disorder without chronic pain.
  
  
  
  The majority of adolescents with chronic pain and an eating disorder had a primary medical diagnosis of abdominal pain (n = 14), followed by autonomic dysfunction (n = 10) and headache (n = 6). Although in 41.2% of teens with chronic pain, eating disorder symptoms developed after the onset of their pain, 35.3% reported having eating disorder symptoms before they experienced chronic pain. Body mass index did not differ between the groups, but the duration of eating disorder symptoms was significantly longer for the chronic pain group (p < .001).
  
  
  
  Despite comparable severity, eating disorders are undetected for longer periods in patients with chronic pain, which may contribute to a poorer prognosis. Implications for eating disorder conceptualization, detection, and treatment are discussed.
authors.forename: Leslie A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Sim
authors.forename: Jocelyn
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lebow
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Weiss
authors.forename: Tracy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Harrison
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bruce
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D000067697:Adolescent Health; D015992:Body Mass Index; D059350:Chronic Pain / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D015897:Comorbidity; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies
keywords: Eating disorders; adolescents; anorexia nervosa; autonomic dysfunction; bulimia nervosa; chronic pain