Prospective reciprocal relations between social support and eating disorder symptoms.

Prospective studies have found inconsistent relations between social support deficits and future increases in eating disorder symptoms. Furthermore, no prospective study has tested whether elevated eating disorder symptoms predict a future erosion of social support. Accordingly, the current study investigated the prospective reciprocal relations between perceived social support from both parents and peers and eating disorder symptoms in adolescent girls. In this study, 496 adolescent girls reported perceived social support and completed an eating disorder diagnostic interview annually for 7 years. Deficits in perceived peer, but not parental, support predicted future increases in eating disorder symptoms (p = .019, partial r = -.10). Furthermore, initial eating disorder symptoms predicted future reductions in perceived peer support (p = .016, partial r = -.11) but not parental support. Interestingly, these relations became nonsignificant when we controlled for negative affect and body mass index, suggesting that comorbid mood disorders and elevated body weight might partially drive these relations. Although both relations were small in magnitude, these results suggest low perceived peer support is a risk factor for future escalations in eating disorder symptoms and that elevated symptoms may contribute to a further erosion of peer support, creating a cyclical relation that maintains eating pathology. Conversely, high levels of perceived peer support could serve as a protective factor against future increases in eating pathology. These findings should advance interpersonal theories of eating pathology and inform the design of more effective prevention programs. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Weight suppression increases odds for future onset of anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and purging disorder, but not binge eating disorder.

BACKGROUND: Eating disorders affect 13% of females and contribute to functional impairment and mortality, but few studies have identified risk factors that prospectively correlate with future onset of anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), binge eating disorder (BED), and purging disorder (PD). Identifying risk factors specific to each eating disorder is critical for advancing etiologic knowledge and designing effective prevention programs. OBJECTIVES: This study examined whether weight suppression (the difference between a person's highest past weight at their adult height and their current weight) correlates with future onset of AN, BN, BED, and PD. METHODS: Data from 1165 young women with body image concerns (mean ± SD age: 21.9 ± 6.4 y) who completed annual diagnostic interviews over a 3-y follow-up period were examined. Logistic regression models evaluated the relation of baseline weight suppression to onset risk of each eating disorder controlling for age, dietary restraint, and intervention condition. RESULTS: Elevated weight suppression predicted future onset of AN (OR: 1.36; 95% CI: 1.03, 1.80), BN (OR: 1.34; 95% CI: 1.11, 1.62), PD (OR: 1.46; 95% CI: 1.23, 1.74), and any eating disorder (OR: 1.32; 95% CI: 1.12, 1.56), but not BED (OR: 1.10; 95% CI: 0.89, 1.37). Highest past weight correlated with future onset of BN and PD but not onset of AN, BED, or any eating disorder, and baseline current weight was inversely related to future AN onset only, implying that women with the largest difference between their highest past weight and current weight are at greatest risk of eating disorders. CONCLUSIONS: The results provide novel evidence that weight suppression correlates with future onset of eating disorders characterized by dietary restriction or compensatory weight control behaviors and suggest weight-suppressed women constitute an important risk group to target with selective prevention programs.These trials were registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01126918 and NCT01949649.

Exploring the Psychometric Properties of the Parent Daily Report - Toddler Version (PDR-T).

The present study examined the psychometric properties of a brief parent-report daily checklist of toddler behavior (Parent Daily Report - Toddler Version; PDR-T). Data were collected from three groups of 18-36 month-olds who were followed longitudinally for approximately 1 year: 1) internationally adopted children (n = 156), 2) children placed in foster care due to child maltreatment (n = 79), and 3) community comparison children raised by their biological families (n = 80). An exploratory factor analysis of this measure resulted in three factors, measuring aggressive/noncompliant, positive, and distress behaviors. While there were estimation issues with the positive and distress factors, the aggressive/noncompliant factor exhibited invariance across time and groups, and partial invariance between genders. Significant correlations were observed between this factor and measures of externalizing behavior and inhibitory control (r = .26-.56), but not shyness, fearfulness, or negative affect. This provides support for both convergent and discriminant validity. Reliability of this factor was adequate to good across time and group. Results provide preliminary support for the utility, reliability, and consistency of one factor of the PDR-T as an easy parent-report tool to assess daily patterns and changes in child aggressive/noncompliant behavior over time.