Association between low height and eating disorders: Cause or effect
2007
Favaro, Angela | Tenconi, Elena | Degortes, Daniela | Soave, Manuela | Zanetti, Tatiana | Nardi, Maria T. | Caregaro, Lorenza | Santonastaso, Paolo
OBJECTIVE:: Few studies have explored the relationship between stature and eating disorders (ED). We aimed to investigate the connection between height and risk for ED in a cohort of female subjects. METHOD:: The sample was composed of 1,031 subjects with ED and 832 controls. All participants belonged to the same birth cohort and were living in the same geographical area. RESULTS:: ED subjects were, on average, shorter than control subjects, independently from the age of onset. In early-onset anorexia nervosa only, age of onset and lowest body mass index were significant predictors of height. In the whole sample, a lower height was associated with an increased risk of having an ED, even after controlling for possible confounding variables. CONCLUSION:: The association between EDs and low stature is statistically significant. Further studies are necessary to understand which genetic and/or environmental factors might explain this association. © 2007 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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