Risk factors and temporal patterns of disordered eating differ in adolescent boys and girls: Testing gender-specific appearance anxiety models

Abstract

Adolescent dieting and disordered eating (DE) are risks for clinical eating disorders. In this five-wave longitudinal study, we tested gender-specific models linking early risk factors to temporal patterns of DE, considering appearance anxiety as a mediator. Participants were 384 Australian students (age 10 to 13; 45% boys) who reported their purging and skipping meals, experience with appearance-related teasing, media pressure, and appearance anxiety. Parents reported pubertal maturation and height/weight was measured. Gender differences in temporal patterns of DE were found and predictive models were tested using latent-variable growth curve and path models. Boys’ DE was generally stable over time; girls showed stability in purging but an average increase in skipping meals. Peer teasing, media pressure, and pubertal maturation were associated with more elevated initial DE in girls, and pubertal maturation was associated with a steeper increase in DE. For boys, body mass index had a direct positive association with DE. Appearance anxiety was associated with more DE, but there was only one significant indirect effect via anxiety, which was for boys’ pubertal maturation. Findings support the dominant role of social interactions and messages, as well as pubertal maturation, for girls’ DE and the prominence of physical risk factors for explaining boys’ DE.

Gender-specific responses to multifaceted factors associated with disordered eating among adolescents of 7th to 9th grade

“…This result is similar to that of a cross-sectional study conducted by Hautala et al on 1036 adolescents that determined the prevalence of disordered eating to be only slightly higher among female participants than among male participants [ 75 ]. Recent studies have revealed that young men also engage in disordered eating [ 59 – 61 ]. Young men exhibit patterns similar to those of women in terms of dietary restraint, exercising compulsively as a means of controlling one’s weight or body shape, and binge eating [ 60 ].…”

“…Previous research on gender differences in family weight-teasing correlated with disordered eating has been mixed. A longitudinal study indicated a significant association between family weight-teasing and appearance anxiety in adolescent girls but not in boys [ 61 ]. However, a cohort study revealed a significant association between weight-related teasing by family members and binge eating among both adolescent boys and girls [ 78 ].…”

“…However, studies that have used EAT 26 to investigate eating disorders in adolescents have investigated only females [ 12 , 15 , 16 , 23 , 34 , 58 ]. Recent studies have revealed that eating disorders also exist among young males [ 59 – 61 ]. Men are comparable with women in terms of dietary restraint, driven exercise (i.e., exercising compulsively as a means of controlling one’s weight or body shape), and binge eating [ 59 – 61 ].…”

“…Recent studies have revealed that eating disorders also exist among young males [ 59 – 61 ]. Men are comparable with women in terms of dietary restraint, driven exercise (i.e., exercising compulsively as a means of controlling one’s weight or body shape), and binge eating [ 59 – 61 ]. Because the EAT-26 was initially designed and tested exclusively with young (mean age: 21) female patients with anorexia nervosa [ 49 ], understanding how the EAT-26 functions in adolescent populations comprising both girls and boys are crucial.…”

“…In summary, previous studies have revealed that disordered eating is determined by individual factors such as weight and body shape concerns [ 60 , 61 ]; emotional distress [ 28 , 29 , 62 ]; by interpersonal factors, such as family influences [ 32 , 33 ]; by peer relationships and negative responses from close ones [ 23 , 49 , 50 ]; and by macro-level environmental factors such as media and societal expectations [ 32 ]. This study adopted a multifaceted factor approach to examine gender-specific responses to multifaceted factors associated with disordered eating, including personal, behavioral, family, and school-related characteristics [ 23 , 49 , 50 ].…”