Individual and family eating patterns during childhood and early adolescence: An analysis of associated eating disorder factors

• Published in: Appetite Vol. 49; no. 2; pp. 476 - 485
• Main Authors: Fernández-Aranda, Fernando, Krug, Isabel, Granero, Roser, Ramón, Jose M., Badia, Anna, Giménez, Laura, Solano, Raquel, Collier, David, Karwautz, Andreas, Treasure, Janet
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier Ltd 01.09.2007; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Anorexia nervosa; Anorexia Nervosa - epidemiology; Attitude; attitudes and opinions; Biological and medical sciences; Body Mass Index; bulimia; Bulimia nervosa; Bulimia Nervosa - epidemiology; Case-Control Studies; Child; Child, Preschool; diet history; early adolescent eating; early childhood eating; Eating - psychology; Eating disorders; Eating disorders not otherwise specified; eating habits; Eating patterns; families; Family; family eating patterns; family relations; Feeding and Eating Disorders - epidemiology; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Female; Food Preferences; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; human nutrition; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Metabolic diseases; patients; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; psychosocial factors; Retrospective Studies; snacks; Spain - epidemiology; specially prepared foods; Surveys and Questionnaires; sweets; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; Spain; Eating disorders not otherwise specified; Anorexia nervosa; Eating patterns; Bulimia nervosa; Eating disorders; Human; Feeding behavior; Nutrition; Family study; Psychology; Eating disorder; Preadolescent; Bulimia; Food intake; Family environment; Psychopathology; Child
• ISSN: 0195-6663; 1095-8304
• DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2007.03.004

To examine whether there is an association between individual and family eating patterns during childhood and the likelihood of developing an eating disorder (ED) later in life. The sample comprised 261 eating disorder patients [33.5% [ N=88] anorexia nervosa (AN), 47.2% [ N=123] with bulimia nervosa (BN) and 19.3% [ N=50] with Eating Disorders Not Otherwise Specified (EDNOS)] and 160 healthy controls from the Province of Catalonia, Spain, who were matched for age and education. All patients were consecutively admitted to our Psychiatry Department and were diagnosed according to DSM-IV criteria. Participants completed the Early Eating Environmental Subscale of the Cross-Cultural (Environmental) Questionnaire (CCQ), a retrospective measure of childhood eating attitudes and behaviours. In the control group, also the General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28) was used. During childhood and early adolescence, the following main factors were identified to be linked to eating disorders: eating excessive sweets and snacks and consuming food specially prepared for the respondent. Conversely, regular breakfast consumption was negatively associated with an eating disorder. Compared to healthy controls, eating disorder patients report unfavourable eating patterns early in life, which in conjunction with an excessive importance given to food by the individual and the family may increase the likelihood for developing a subsequent eating disorder.