Does childhood bullying predict eating disorder symptoms? A prospective, longitudinal analysis.

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 as

SUBMITTER: Copeland WE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4715551 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature