Related Experiment Videos
Risk factors for anorexia nervosa: three integrated case-control comparisons
C G Fairburn1, Z Cooper, H A Doll
1Department of Psychiatry, Oxford University, Warneford Hospital, England.
Archives of General Psychiatry
|May 8, 1999
Summary
Risk factors for anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN) were investigated. Perfectionism and negative self-evaluation are key antecedents for both eating disorders, while dieting influences BN more than AN.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Eating Disorders
- Risk Factor Analysis
Background:
- Etiology of anorexia nervosa (AN) involves numerous risk factors.
- Relative contributions and specificity of these factors remain unclear.
- Distinguishing AN risk factors from those of other eating disorders and general psychiatric disorders is needed.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate and compare risk factors for anorexia nervosa (AN).
- To differentiate risk factors specific to AN versus bulimia nervosa (BN) and other psychiatric disorders.
- To assess the role of dieting, perfectionism, and negative self-evaluation in eating disorder development.
Main Methods:
- Case-control study design.
- Comparison of 67 female AN subjects with 204 healthy controls, 102 other psychiatric disorder subjects, and 102 bulimia nervosa (BN) subjects.
- Comprehensive risk factor assessment via interviews.
Main Results:
- Significant differences in risk factor exposure between AN subjects and healthy controls.
- Perfectionism and negative self-evaluation were more prevalent in AN subjects than general psychiatric controls.
- Parental obesity, early menarche, and parental psychiatric disorder distinguished BN from AN.
Conclusions:
- A wide array of risk factors exist for AN and BN, with some overlap with other psychiatric disorders.
- Dieting appears to be a more significant risk factor for BN than AN.
- Perfectionism and negative self-evaluation are characteristic antecedents for both AN and BN.