ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: Body dissatisfaction in transgender youth (TY) may increase the risk for eating disorders. This is the first study using the Eating Disorders Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) to assess for eating disorder psychopathology in TY. METHODS: Youth aged 13-22 years (n = 106) presenting to a gender clinic from January 2018 to January 2019 completed the EDE-Q and answered questions on weight manipulation for gender-affirming purposes. RESULTS: Respondents identified as transmasculine (61%), transfeminine (28%), or nonbinary (11%). Mean age was 16.5 years (standard deviation = 2.0), mean weight was 119.9% median body mass index (standard deviation = 32.9), and 32% were on hormonal therapy. Of the participants, 15% had elevated EDE-Q scores. Most (63%) disclosed weight manipulation for gender-affirming purposes, with 11% of assigned females doing so for menstrual suppression. These behaviors had poor concordance with elevated EDE-Q scores (κ = .137 and .148). CONCLUSIONS: Disordered eating behaviors are relatively common among TY. Further studies are needed to validate the EDE-Q in TY and establish meaningful cutoff score values.
Subject(s)
Body Dissatisfaction/psychology , Feeding and Eating Disorders/physiopathology , Mass Screening , Transgender Persons , Adolescent , Female , Humans , Male , Reproducibility of Results , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
Eating disorders are one of the most common chronic conditions in adolescents. The clinical symptoms can mimic those of other chronic diseases including gastrointestinal and endocrine disorders. However, an eating disorder can coexist with another chronic disease, making the diagnosis and management of both conditions challenging. This Review describes what is known about eating disorders in adolescents with chronic gastrointestinal and endocrine diseases, focusing on coeliac disease, inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes, and thyroid disorders. The prevalence and onset of each condition during adolescence is discussed, followed by a description of the associations among the conditions and eating disorders. We also discuss management challenges posed by the coexistence of the two conditions. When both diseases coexist, a multidisciplinary approach is often needed to address the additional complexities posed.
