Disordered Eating Profiles in Adolescence to Early Adulthood and Future Cardiometabolic Health

Area of Science:

• Adolescent Health
• Cardiometabolic Health
• Eating Disorders

Background:

• Limited evidence exists on disordered eating patterns and long-term cardiometabolic outcomes.
• This study investigates disordered eating trajectories from adolescence to young adulthood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine associations between disordered eating trajectory profiles (ages 13-21) and cardiometabolic health markers.
• To assess the impact of disordered eating on Body Mass Index (BMI) and metabolic syndrome features.

Main Methods:

• Latent class analysis identified 4 disordered eating profiles from Eating Disorder Inventory subscales.
• Longitudinal data from the Epidemiological Health Investigation of Teenagers cohort (Porto, Portugal).
• Generalized linear models and logistic regressions analyzed associations with BMI and metabolic syndrome at ages 21, 24, and 27.

Main Results:

• Four profiles identified: 'higher', 'increasing', 'decreasing', and 'lower' disordered eating levels.
• Higher and increasing disordered eating profiles were associated with heightened BMI in both sexes.
• Women with higher disordered eating had increased odds of metabolic syndrome features; men showed this risk with higher and increasing profiles.

Conclusions:

• Adolescents with persistent or escalating disordered eating face a higher risk of adverse cardiometabolic health.
• Males with higher or increasing disordered eating trajectories showed increased cardiometabolic risk into adulthood.