title: The Anorexia Nervosa Genetics Initiative: Study description and sample characteristics of the Australian and New Zealand arm.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Anorexia nervosa is a severe psychiatric disorder with high mortality rates. While its aetiology is poorly understood, there is evidence of a significant genetic component. The Anorexia Nervosa Genetics Initiative is an international collaboration which aims to understand the genetic basis of the disorder. This paper describes the recruitment and characteristics of the Australasian Anorexia Nervosa Genetics Initiative sample, the largest sample of individuals with anorexia nervosa ever assembled across Australia and New Zealand.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants completed an online questionnaire based on the Structured Clinical Interview Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.; DSM-IV) eating disorders section. Participants who met specified case criteria for lifetime anorexia nervosa were requested to provide a DNA sample for genetic analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, the study recruited 3414 Australians and 543 New Zealanders meeting the lifetime anorexia nervosa case criteria by using a variety of conventional and social media recruitment methods. At the time of questionnaire completion, 28% had a body mass index ⩽ 18.5 kg/m2. Fasting and exercise were the most commonly employed methods of weight control, and were associated with the youngest reported ages of onset. At the time of the study, 32% of participants meeting lifetime anorexia nervosa case criteria were under the care of a medical practitioner; those with current body mass index < 18.5 kg/m2were more likely to be currently receiving medical care (56%) than those with current body mass index ⩾ 18.5 kg/m2(23%). Professional treatment for eating disorders was most likely to have been received from general practitioners (45% of study participants), dietitians (42%) and outpatient programmes (42%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study was effective in assembling the largest community sample of people with lifetime anorexia nervosa in Australia and New Zealand to date. The proportion of people with anorexia nervosa currently receiving medical care, and the most common sources of treatment accessed, indicates the importance of training for general practitioners and dietitians in treating anorexia nervosa.
authors.affiliation: 1 Genetic Epidemiology Laboratory, QIMR Berghofer Institute of Medical Research, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
authors.forename: Katherine M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Kirk
authors.affiliation: 1 Genetic Epidemiology Laboratory, QIMR Berghofer Institute of Medical Research, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
authors.forename: Felicity C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.affiliation: 2 Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mao
authors.affiliation: 1 Genetic Epidemiology Laboratory, QIMR Berghofer Institute of Medical Research, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Parker
authors.affiliation: 3 University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Maguire
authors.affiliation: 4 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Laura M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Thornton
authors.affiliation: 1 Genetic Epidemiology Laboratory, QIMR Berghofer Institute of Medical Research, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
authors.forename: Gu
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: 1 Genetic Epidemiology Laboratory, QIMR Berghofer Institute of Medical Research, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
authors.forename: Kerrie
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: McAloney
authors.affiliation: 5 Australia & New Zealand Academy for Eating Disorders, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Jeremy L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Freeman
authors.affiliation: 6 Western Sydney University, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Phillipa
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hay
authors.affiliation: 6 Western Sydney University, Sydney, NSW, Australia.|7 The Sydney Children's Hospital Network, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Sloane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Madden
authors.affiliation: 8 The Butterfly Foundation, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Morgan
authors.affiliation: 3 University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Janice
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Russell
authors.affiliation: 9 The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: Susan M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Sawyer
authors.affiliation: 9 The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: Elizabeth K
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Hughes
authors.affiliation: 10 Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
authors.forename: A Kate
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Fairweather-Schmidt
authors.affiliation: 11 Centre for Clinical Interventions, Perth, WA, Australia.|12 Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia.
authors.forename: Anthea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fursland
authors.affiliation: 13 Princess Margaret Hospital for Children, Perth, WA, Australia.
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McCormack
authors.affiliation: 14 Royal Hobart Hospital, Hobart, TAS, Australia.
authors.forename: Fiona
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wagg
authors.affiliation: 15 University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jordan
authors.affiliation: 15 University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Martin A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Kennedy
authors.affiliation: 2 Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.|16 School of Medicine, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
authors.forename: Warren
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ward
authors.affiliation: 10 Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
authors.forename: Tracey D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Wade
authors.affiliation: 4 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.|17 Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Cynthia M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Bulik
authors.affiliation: 1 Genetic Epidemiology Laboratory, QIMR Berghofer Institute of Medical Research, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
authors.forename: Nicholas G
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Martin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000235:genetics*; D001315:Australia; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D055106:Genome-Wide Association Study; D006801:Humans; D007391:International Cooperation; D008297:Male; D009520:New Zealand; D018579:Patient Selection; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Anorexia nervosa; eating disorder; genome-wide association study; recruitment