FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH EATING DISORDER SYMPTOMS IN A COMMUNITY SAMPLE OF 6TH AND 7TH GRADE GIRLS

Nine hundred thirty-nine 6th and 7th grade girls participated in the b aseline phase of a prospective study designed to examine a set of pote ntial risk factors for the development of eating disorders. Of the 939 ,839 girls (89%) completed the bulimia nervosa section of the Structur ed Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R disorders. One girl received the d iagnosis of bulimia nervosa, another 35 were classified as a symptomat ic group. Using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), controlling for age a nd stage of sexual maturation, symptomatic and asymptomatic groups wer e compared on the following measures: Eating Disorders inventory (EDI) , BMI, triceps skinfold thickness, waist-to-hip ratio, depression symp toms (CES-D and DSRS), Restraint Scale, and a measure of family adapta bility and cohesion (FACES). Symptomatic girls were more developmental ly mature, significantly heavier, reported greater fear of weight gain , experienced greater dysphoria, indicated increased body dissatisfact ion, and reported greater feelings of inadequacy and personal worthles sness. Their status on th ese dimensions may indicate potential vulner ability to eating disorders and, ultimately, suggest the choice of tar gets for intervention. Our future goal is to conduct the prospective a nalyses needed to confirm the hypothesized linkages. (C) 1994 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.