Mental health impairment associated with eating-disorder features in a community sample of women

Abstract

Background and Aims: Impairment in mental health associated with eating-disorder features was examined in a large, general population sample of women aged 18 to 42 years.

Method: Participants (n = 5255) completed self-report measures of eating-disordered behaviour, mental health functioning, height and weight and socio-demographic information.

Results: The most common eating-disorder features were extreme concerns about weight or shape (14.6%), subjective overeating (12.7%), objective overeating (10.6%) and extreme concerns about dietary intake (10.4%). In multivariable analysis, in which mental health functioning was regressed on eating-disorder features, while also controlling for age and body weight, objective overeating (β = −0.07), subjective overeating (β = −0.07), extreme dietary restriction (β = −0.06) and extreme concerns about eating (β = −0.04) showed small, but statistically significant associations with mental health impairment, whereas extreme weight or shape concerns showed a very strong association (β = −0.24).

Conclusions: From a clinical perspective, the findings are consistent with the importance attached to the “over-evaluation” of weight or shape as a core component of eating-disorder psychopathology. From a public health perspective, the findings indicate the need to conceive of body dissatisfaction as a target for health promotion in its own right.

Keywords:

• Eating-disordered behaviour
• weight or shape concerns
• mental health
• impairment

Acknowledgements

The Health and Well-Being of Female ACT Residents Study was funded by The Canberra Hospital Private Practice Fund, ACT Health and Community Care and ACT Mental Health. Dr Mond is supported by an Australian National Health and Medical Research Council Sidney Sax (Public Health) Fellowship.

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.