Testing the hypothesis of the multidimensional model of anorexia nervosa in adolescents.

This study statistically tested six hypothesized risk factors of the model for anorexia nervosa. Forty-three adolescents with anorexia nervosa and 85 controls were administered the EAT, EDI, and FES. In addition, 43 parents of anorexics and 85 parents of controls completed the Family History Data Sheet, the FES, and the Perfect Child Questionnaire. Three of six hypothesized risk factors were confirmed: family history of depression, feelings of ineffectiveness, and poor interceptive awareness. Log-linear analysis indicated that the hierarchical model that best fit the data had significant two-way interactions with anorexia nervosa, G2 (11, N = 128) = 65.87, p < .001. In addition, alcohol and drug abuse or dependence figured prominently in the family history of patients with anorexia nervosa. The multidimensional model for anorexia nervosa holds up as an exploratory model of this condition in the adolescent age group.