Disordered eating behavior, health and motives to exercise in young men: cross-sectional population-based MOPO study.
Being overweight is an increasing problem among young people, among whom disordered eating behavior is linked with weight problems as well as unhealthy weight control. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether health factors and motives to exercise differ in young men by the type of disordered eating behavior.



The population-based, cross-sectional MOPO study consisted of 2,096 young Finnish men (mean age 17.9, SD 0.7) attending compulsory call-ups for military service in the Oulu area in 2010, 2011, and 2013. They responded to a questionnaire that included two subscales of the Eating Disorder Inventory-3 indicating drive for thinness and bulimic behavior and questions on health, physical activity, and motives to exercise. The association between disordered eating behavior and related factors was analyzed by binary logistic regression.



Altogether, 6.9 % (n = 145) of the men had symptoms of disordered eating, i.e., 5.4 % had a drive for thinness (n = 114) and 3.7 % had bulimic behavior (n = 77). Drive for thinness was associated with a perception of being overweight (OR 3.7; 95 % CI 2.2-6.1), poor self-rated health (2.3; 1.2-4.4), more leisure sitting time (1.1; 1.0-1.2), and body-related exercise motives (body acceptance: 3.0; 1.7-5.2; weight loss: 2.5; 1.4-4.4). Bulimic behavior was positively associated with poor self-rated health (2.6; 1.1-5.8) and several motives to exercise, i.e., due to another person's suggestion (2.8; 1.6-4.8), competitive sports (2.1; 1.2-3.7), body acceptance (2.1; 1.1-3.9), and weight loss (1.9; 1.1-3.3), but inversely associated with health/fitness-related exercise motives (health promotion: 0.3; 0.1-0.5; muscular strength or physical performance: 0.5; 0.2-0.9).



In young men, disordered eating behavior was associated with being overweight, having poor self-rated health, and having a greater amount of leisure sitting time as well as non-health-related motives to exercise. In order to recognize those at risk for disordered eating behavior, evaluating these factors could be beneficial.
Department of Sports and Exercise Medicine, Oulu Deaconess Institute, P.O. BOX 365, FI-90101, Oulu, Finland. marjukka.nurkkala@gmail.com.|Center for Life Course Health Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oulu, P.O. BOX 5000, FI-90014, Oulu, Finland. marjukka.nurkkala@gmail.com.|Medical Research Center Oulu, University Hospital of Oulu and University of Oulu, P.O. BOX 5000, FI-90014, Oulu, Finland. marjukka.nurkkala@gmail.com.
Marjukka
M
Nurkkala
Department of Sports and Exercise Medicine, Oulu Deaconess Institute, P.O. BOX 365, FI-90101, Oulu, Finland.|Medical Research Center Oulu, University Hospital of Oulu and University of Oulu, P.O. BOX 5000, FI-90014, Oulu, Finland.|Clinical Research Center, Internal Medicine, University Hospital of Oulu, University of Oulu, P.O. BOX 5000, FI-90014, Oulu, Finland.
Anna-Maria
AM
Keränen
Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Psychiatry, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. BOX 100, FI-70029, Kuopio, Finland.|Clinic of Child Psychiatry, Oulu University Hospital, P.O. BOX 26, FI-90029 OYS, Oulu, Finland.|Departments of Psychiatry, Kuopio University Hospital (KUH), South Savonia Hospital District, Mikkeli; North Karelia Central Hospital, Joensuu; SOSTERI, Savonlinna; SOTE, Iisalmi; Lapland Hospital District, Rovaniemi, Finland.
Heli
H
Koivumaa-Honkanen
Medical Research Center Oulu, University Hospital of Oulu and University of Oulu, P.O. BOX 5000, FI-90014, Oulu, Finland.|Center for Environmental and Respiratory Health Research, University of Oulu, P.O. BOX 5000, FI-90014, Oulu, Finland.
Tiina M
TM
Ikäheimo
Medical Research Center Oulu, University Hospital of Oulu and University of Oulu, P.O. BOX 5000, FI-90014, Oulu, Finland.|Research Unit of Medical Imaging, Physics and Technology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oulu, P.O. BOX 5000, FI-90014, Oulu, Finland.
Riikka
R
Ahola
Department of Sports and Exercise Medicine, Oulu Deaconess Institute, P.O. BOX 365, FI-90101, Oulu, Finland.|Center for Life Course Health Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oulu, P.O. BOX 5000, FI-90014, Oulu, Finland.|Medical Research Center Oulu, University Hospital of Oulu and University of Oulu, P.O. BOX 5000, FI-90014, Oulu, Finland.|Research Unit of Medical Imaging, Physics and Technology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oulu, P.O. BOX 5000, FI-90014, Oulu, Finland.
Riitta
R
Pyky
Center for Life Course Health Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oulu, P.O. BOX 5000, FI-90014, Oulu, Finland.
Matti
M
Mäntysaari
Department of Sports and Exercise Medicine, Oulu Deaconess Institute, P.O. BOX 365, FI-90101, Oulu, Finland.|Center for Life Course Health Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oulu, P.O. BOX 5000, FI-90014, Oulu, Finland.|Medical Research Center Oulu, University Hospital of Oulu and University of Oulu, P.O. BOX 5000, FI-90014, Oulu, Finland.
Raija
R
Korpelainen
D000293:Adolescent; D001828:Body Image; D002032:Bulimia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D059026:Diagnostic Self Evaluation; D004435:Eating / Q000523:psychology*; D015444:Exercise / Q000523:psychology*; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007899:Leisure Activities; D008019:Life Style; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D009765:Obesity / Q000523:psychology*; D050177:Overweight; D010809:Physical Fitness; D012931:Social Environment; D013177:Sports / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013851:Thinness / Q000523:psychology; D015431:Weight Loss
Adolescent; Disordered eating behavior; Male; Motivation; Obesity; Physical activity