William E Copeland1, Cynthia M Bulik2,3,4, Nancy Zucker1, Dieter Wolke5, Suzet Tanya Lereya5, Elizabeth Jane Costello1. 1. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina. 2. Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. 3. Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. 4. Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. 5. Department of Psychology and Division of Mental Health and Well-Being, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Bullying is a common childhood experience with enduring psychosocial consequences. The aim of this study was to test whether bullying increases risk for eating disorder symptoms. METHOD: Ten waves of data on 1,420 participants between ages 9 and 25 were used from the prospective population-based Great Smoky Mountains Study. Structured interviews were used to assess bullying involvement and symptoms of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa as well as associated features. Bullying involvement was categorized as not involved, bully only, victim only, or both bully and victim (bully-victims). RESULTS: Within childhood/adolescence, victims of bullying were at increased risk for symptoms of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa as well as associated features. These associations persisted after accounting for prior eating disorder symptom status as well as preexisting psychiatric status and family adversities. Bullies were at increased risk of symptoms of bulimia and associated features of eating disorders, and bully-victims had higher levels of anorexia symptoms. In terms of individual items, victims were at risk for binge eating, and bully-victims had more binge eating and use of vomiting as a compensatory behavior. There was little evidence in this sample that these effects differed by sex. Childhood bullying status was not associated with increased risk for persistent eating disorder symptoms into adulthood (ages 19, 21, and 25). DISCUSSION: Bullying predicts eating disorder symptoms for both bullies and victims. Bullying involvement should be a part of risk assessment and treatment planning for children with eating problems.
OBJECTIVE: Bullying is a common childhood experience with enduring psychosocial consequences. The aim of this study was to test whether bullying increases risk for eating disorder symptoms. METHOD: Ten waves of data on 1,420 participants between ages 9 and 25 were used from the prospective population-based Great Smoky Mountains Study. Structured interviews were used to assess bullying involvement and symptoms of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa as well as associated features. Bullying involvement was categorized as not involved, bully only, victim only, or both bully and victim (bully-victims). RESULTS: Within childhood/adolescence, victims of bullying were at increased risk for symptoms of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa as well as associated features. These associations persisted after accounting for prior eating disorder symptom status as well as preexisting psychiatric status and family adversities. Bullies were at increased risk of symptoms of bulimia and associated features of eating disorders, and bully-victims had higher levels of anorexia symptoms. In terms of individual items, victims were at risk for binge eating, and bully-victims had more binge eating and use of vomiting as a compensatory behavior. There was little evidence in this sample that these effects differed by sex. Childhood bullying status was not associated with increased risk for persistent eating disorder symptoms into adulthood (ages 19, 21, and 25). DISCUSSION: Bullying predicts eating disorder symptoms for both bullies and victims. Bullying involvement should be a part of risk assessment and treatment planning for children with eating problems.
Authors: Bianca L De Stavola; Dorothea Nitsch; Isabel dos Santos Silva; Valerie McCormack; Rebecca Hardy; Vera Mann; Tim J Cole; Susan Morton; David A Leon Journal: Am J Epidemiol Date: 2005-11-23 Impact factor: 4.897
Authors: Jessie R Baldwin; Louise Arseneault; Candice Odgers; Daniel W Belsky; Timothy Matthews; Antony Ambler; Avshalom Caspi; Terrie E Moffitt; Andrea Danese Journal: Psychosom Med Date: 2016 Nov/Dec Impact factor: 4.312
Authors: Allegra R Gordon; S Bryn Austin; Nancy Krieger; Jaclyn M White Hughto; Sari L Reisner Journal: Soc Sci Med Date: 2016-08-01 Impact factor: 4.634
Authors: Elisabeth Welch; Andreas Jangmo; Laura M Thornton; Claes Norring; Yvonne von Hausswolff-Juhlin; Barry K Herman; Manjiri Pawaskar; Henrik Larsson; Cynthia M Bulik Journal: BMC Psychiatry Date: 2016-05-26 Impact factor: 3.630
Authors: Danilo Dias Santana; Deborah Mitchison; Scott Griffiths; Jose Carlos Appolinario; Gloria Valeria da Veiga; Stephen Touyz; Phillipa Hay Journal: Eat Weight Disord Date: 2020-10-23 Impact factor: 4.652
Authors: Allegra R Gordon; S Bryn Austin; Jordan Schultz; Carly E Guss; Jerel P Calzo; Monica L Wang Journal: J Adolesc Health Date: 2020-10-15 Impact factor: 7.830