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Updated: Jun 16, 2026

A Computer-Based Platform for Aiding Clinicians in Eating Disorder Analysis and Diagnosis
Published on: May 10, 2022
Life beyond the eating disorder: education, relationships, and reproduction
Millie Maxwell1, Laura M Thornton, Tammy L Root
1Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-7160, USA.
Objective:
We investigated the sociodemographic characteristics in women with and without lifetime eating disorders.
Method:
Participants were from a multisite international study of eating disorders (N = 2,096). Education level, relationship status, and reproductive status were examined across eating disorder subtypes and compared with a healthy control group.
Results:
Overall, women with eating disorders were less educated than controls, and duration of illness and age of onset were associated with educational attainment. Menstrual status was associated with both relationship and reproductive status, but eating disorder subtypes did not differ significantly from each other or from healthy controls on these dimensions.
Discussion:
Differences in educational attainment, relationships, and reproduction do exist in individuals with eating disorders and are differentially associated with various eating disorder symptoms and characteristics. These data could assist in educating patients and family members about long-term consequences of eating disorders.
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