The association between bullying and eating disorders: A case-control study

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
• Clinical Psychology
• Public Health

Background:

• Childhood bullying is a known risk factor for adverse mental health outcomes.
• Eating disorders (EDs) represent a significant public health concern with complex etiologies.
• The specific association between bullying exposure and the development of various ED subtypes requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between childhood and adolescent bullying exposure and the prevalence of lifetime eating disorders.
• To compare bullying history in individuals diagnosed with specific ED subtypes (bulimia nervosa, binge-eating disorder, anorexia nervosa) against community controls.

Main Methods:

• A case-control study design was employed, recruiting 890 participants (mean age 29.50 ± 10.60).
• Participants completed an online self-report survey assessing bullying history and lifetime ED diagnoses.
• Logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine odds ratios (ORs) for the association between bullying and EDs.

Main Results:

• Individuals with a history of any ED were significantly more likely to report bullying victimization (ORs = 1.99-3.30), particularly verbal, indirect, and digital forms.
• Bullying exposure prior to ED onset was more common in ED patients than in controls (ORs = 1.75-2.16).
• The association was primarily driven by individuals with bulimia nervosa (BN) or binge-eating disorder (BED), who reported significantly more lifetime and premorbid bullying compared to controls.

Conclusions:

• This study confirms a significant association between bullying victimization and binge-eating/purging ED subtypes (BN and BED).
• Bullying exposure may play a role in the development or exacerbation of these specific EDs.
• Further prospective research is warranted to establish bullying as a definitive risk factor for eating disorders.