PURPOSE: To examine the associations between early pubertal timing and early advanced sexual development with bulimic-type eating pathology in middle adolescents. METHODS: A total of 19,321 boys and 19,196 girls aged 14-16 years (mean age 15.3 years, standard deviation 0.59) responded to the School Health Promotion Study, a class-room survey among Finnish adolescents about health, health behavior, and school experiences. Bulimic-type eating pathology was assessed with a questionnaire formulated according to the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders IV (DSM-IV) criteria. Pubertal timing was assessed by self-reported age at menarche or oigarche. Statistical methods were used chi-square and logistic regression. RESULTS: Bulimic-type eating pathology among girls was associated with early menarche, early sexual experiences, and increasing age. Among boys, onset of ejaculations at the normative age was protective for bulimic-type eating pathology, and the risk was elevated among very early and late maturers. Early sexual experience was associated with bulimic-type eating pathology. CONCLUSION: To prevent bulimia nervosa and to create opportunities for early intervention, attention should be paid to early maturing girls and off-time maturing boys, as well as those with early onset of sexual activity.
PURPOSE: To examine the associations between early pubertal timing and early advanced sexual development with bulimic-type eating pathology in middle adolescents. METHODS: A total of 19,321 boys and 19,196 girls aged 14-16 years (mean age 15.3 years, standard deviation 0.59) responded to the School Health Promotion Study, a class-room survey among Finnish adolescents about health, health behavior, and school experiences. Bulimic-type eating pathology was assessed with a questionnaire formulated according to the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders IV (DSM-IV) criteria. Pubertal timing was assessed by self-reported age at menarche or oigarche. Statistical methods were used chi-square and logistic regression. RESULTS: Bulimic-type eating pathology among girls was associated with early menarche, early sexual experiences, and increasing age. Among boys, onset of ejaculations at the normative age was protective for bulimic-type eating pathology, and the risk was elevated among very early and late maturers. Early sexual experience was associated with bulimic-type eating pathology. CONCLUSION: To prevent bulimia nervosa and to create opportunities for early intervention, attention should be paid to early maturing girls and off-time maturing boys, as well as those with early onset of sexual activity.
Authors: Carl A Anderson; Gu Zhu; Mario Falchi; Stéphanie M van den Berg; Susan A Treloar; Timothy D Spector; Nicholas G Martin; Dorret I Boomsma; Peter M Visscher; Grant W Montgomery Journal: J Clin Endocrinol Metab Date: 2008-07-22 Impact factor: 5.958
Authors: Mary Beth Terry; Mandy Goldberg; Sarah Schechter; Lauren C Houghton; Melissa L White; Karen O'Toole; Wendy K Chung; Mary B Daly; Theresa H M Keegan; Irene L Andrulis; Angela R Bradbury; Lisa Schwartz; Julia A Knight; Esther M John; Saundra S Buys Journal: Pediatrics Date: 2016-06-08 Impact factor: 7.124