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Conceição Costa, MPH; Elisabete Ramos, PhD; Milton Severo, MSc; Henrique Barros, MD, PhD; Carla Lopes, PhD

Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2008;162(12):1126-1132.

Objective  To evaluate the association of psychological, biological, social, and familial characteristics and eating disorders symptomatology in 13-year-old Portuguese adolescents.

Design  Cross-sectional study.

Setting  Schools in Porto, Portugal.

Participants  Adolescents born in 1990 and attending schools in Porto, Portugal (n = 2036) completed a questionnaire at school containing the Eating Disorders Inventory (EDI) and Beck Depression Inventory, Second Edition. Anthropometrical measurements were also performed. A questionnaire addressing parents' characteristics was sent home with the adolescents.

Main Exposure  Psychological, biological, social, and familial characteristics.

Main Outcome Measures  Three core EDI subscales.

Results  After using multiple regression analyses, body mass index (calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared) and depressive symptomatology for both sexes were positively associated with eating disorder symptomatology evaluated by the 3 core EDI subscales (drive for thinness, bulimia, body dissatisfaction). Parents' education had a significant positive effect on girls' drive for thinness and body dissatisfaction scores and a significant negative effect in boys' bulimia and body dissatisfaction scores.

Conclusions  Higher body mass index and higher depressive symptomatology were associated with more severe eating disorder symptomatology in both sexes. A sex effect on the association between socioeconomic status and eating disorder symptomatology was found; girls with higher socioeconomic status and boys with lower socioeconomic status presented more eating disorder symptomatology.

Author Affiliations: Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Medical School, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.

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