Childhood risk factors for lifetime bulimic or compulsive eating by age 30 years in a British national birth cohort.
To examine whether previously identified childhood risk factors for bulimia or compulsive eating (BCE) predict self-reported lifetime BCE by age 30 years in a prospective birth cohort.



Using data from the 1970 British Cohort Study at birth, 5, and 10 years, associations between 22 putative childhood risk factors and self-reported lifetime BCE at 30 years were examined, adjusting for sex and socioeconomic status.



Only female sex (odds ratio (OR): 9.2; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.9-43.7; p = 0.005), low self-esteem (OR:2.9; 95%CI: 1.1-7.5; p = 0.03) and high maternal education (OR:5.4; 95%CI: 2.0-14.8; p = 0.001) were significantly associated with higher risk of BCE, whereas high SES at 10 years was significantly protective (OR:0.2; 95%CI: 0.1-0.8; p = 0.022) of BCE in fully adjusted multivariable logistic regression analysis.



Our findings do not support a strong role for childhood weight status and eating behaviours in the development of bulimia and compulsive eating pathology, rather suggesting a focus on self esteem may have greater relative importance. Findings in relation to maternal education and SES need further exploration.
Department of Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, WC1N 3JH, UK; UCL Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford Street, London, WC1N 1EH, UK. Electronic address: d.nicholls@ucl.ac.uk.
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D
Nicholls
Department of Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, WC1N 3JH, UK.
R
R
Statham
UCL Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford Street, London, WC1N 1EH, UK.
S
S
Costa
UCL Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford Street, London, WC1N 1EH, UK.
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N
Micali
UCL Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford Street, London, WC1N 1EH, UK.
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RM
Viner
D000328:Adult; D056912:Binge-Eating Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D052018:Bulimia Nervosa / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D002664:Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003192:Compulsive Behavior / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D004522:Educational Status; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers / Q000193:education; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012649:Self Concept; D057566:Self Report; D012737:Sex Factors; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology
Binge eating; Bulimia nervosa; Childhood; Compulsive eating; Eating disorders; Risk factors