Abstract
Objective
To investigate the impact of generalized joint hypermobility (GJH) on eating behavior.
Participants
Physical therapy and rehabilitation students.
Methods
The Beighton evaluation (a cutoff of 5/9) for defining GJH. The Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-40) was used for eating disorders. Smoking habits and alcohol use were also questioned.
Results
Compared with 51 non-GJH students (mean age 20.5 years, 73% female), 46 students with asymptomatic GJH (20.6 years, 89% female) were more likely to have greater median EAT-40 scores (9 vs. 6, p = .002). There was no statistically significant difference between the groups in terms of the susceptibility to eating behavior disorders (6.5% vs. 2.0%), smoking habits (6.5% vs. 9.8%), and alcohol use (15.2% vs. 11.8%) (p > .05). Positive correlation (r = .221, p = .029) and positive effect (R = 0.221, R2 = 0.049; p < .05) between Beighton scores and EAT-40 scores were found.
Conclusion
The more joint hypermobility the greater the risk for eating disorders.
Conflict of interest disclosure
The authors have no conflicts of interest to report. The authors confirm that the research presented in this article met the ethical guidelines, including adherence to the legal requirements, of Turkey and received approval from the Institutional Review Board of Trakya University Medical Faculty.