Parental characteristics in association with disordered eating in 11‐ to 12‐year‐olds: A study within the Danish National Birth Cohort

Abstract

We examined the association between parental characteristics and disordered eating among 11- to 12-year-olds within the Danish National Birth Cohort. Frequency of fasting, purging, and binge eating was obtained by self-report from 37,592 children and combined into a measure of disordered eating (no, monthly, and weekly). Information on parental characteristics was obtained during pregnancy, from the 7-year follow-up, and by linkage to population registers. Data were analysed using multinomial logistic regression models with robust standard errors. In total, 3.1% reported weekly and 4.1% reported monthly disordered eating. Parental young age, low educational level, and overweight/obesity were associated with disordered eating. The relative risk ratios for, respectively, weekly and monthly disordered eating according to maternal eating disorder were 1.01 [0.75, 1.37] and 1.09 [0.84, 1.42]. Disordered eating is common among children and is associated with several parental characteristics. We found social inequality in disordered eating, but our data did not support an association with maternal eating disorder.

Weight trajectories and disordered eating behaviours in 11‐ to 12‐year‐olds: A longitudinal study within the Danish National Birth Cohort

“…Indeed, studies of nonclinical samples of children aged 6–11 years indicate that approximately 9–14% of girls and 5–8% of boys report DEBs (Ricciardelli & McCabe, ). In a recent study of 11‐ to 12‐year‐olds, we observed that overweight co‐occurred with DEBs (Larsen, Strandberg‐Larsen, Olsen, Micali, & Nybo Andersen, ). This is in line with increasing evidence showing that childhood overweight predicts later onset of DEBs (Forrester‐Knauss, Perren, & Alsaker, ; Micali et al, ; Munkholm et al, ; Neumark‐Sztainer et al, ; Neumark‐Sztainer, Paxton, Hannan, Haines, & Story, ; Reed, Micali, Bulik, Smith, & Wade, ; Stice, Presnell, & Spangler, ; Wiklund et al, ).…”

“…We had no information on weight status between age 1 and 7 years, and it is likely that overweight occurring in this period, as well as after age 7 years may increase the risk of DEBs in late childhood/early adolescence. Unfortunately, no prospectively collected weight measures from age 7 to 11 years were available, and we have previously shown that overweight at age 11 years is associated with higher risk of DEBs (Larsen et al, 2018). The definition of childhood weight status and cut-offs for overweight vary considerably.…”

“…Furthermore, information on binge eating with loss of control over eating was collected using a two-part question (Field, Taylor, Celio, & Colditz, 2004). Detailed information about the questions and response categories on DEBs used in the 11-year follow-up can be found elsewhere (Larsen et al, 2018). The outcome measure for the present study was the presence or absence of DEBs.…”

“…Using the International Standard Classification of Education categories (primary and lower secondary, upper secondary, lower tertiary, and upper tertiary), we created two variables of, respectively, maternal and parental education level. We used both maternal selfreported eating disorder and maternal hospital-diagnosed eating disorder up to the date of the child's BMI measurement at the 7-year follow-up, as defined elsewhere (Larsen et al, 2018;Larsen, Nybo Andersen, Olsen, Micali, & Strandberg-Larsen, 2016), to create a binary variable of maternal eating disorder (yes and no). We extracted information on parental psychopathology from the Danish National Patient Register (Lynge, Sandegaard, & Rebolj, 2011) and Psychiatric Central Research Register (Mors, Perto, & Mortensen, 2011) from 1978 up to the date of child's BMI measurement at the 7-year followup.…”

“…We extracted information on parental psychopathology from the Danish National Patient Register (Lynge, Sandegaard, & Rebolj, 2011) and Psychiatric Central Research Register (Mors, Perto, & Mortensen, 2011) from 1978 up to the date of child's BMI measurement at the 7-year followup. Using this information, we created two binary variables of, respectively, maternal and paternal psychopathology (yes and no, Larsen et al, 2018;Pedersen et al, 2014). Finally, in the 7-year follow-up, the parent reported on his/her own height and weight and their partner's height and weight.…”