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ERIC Number: EJ696547
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2004-Sep-1
Pages: 9
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0890-8567
EISSN: N/A
Sexual Orientation, Weight Concerns, and Eating-Disordered Behaviors in Adolescent Girls and Boys.
Austin, S. Bryn; Ziyadeh, Najat; Kahn, Jessica A.; Camargo, Carlos A.; Colditz, Graham A.; Field, Alison E.
Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, v43 n9 p1115 Sep 2004
Objective: To examine sexual orientation group differences in eating disorder symptoms in adolescent girls and boys. Method: Cross-sectional associations were examined using multivariate regression techniques using data gathered in 1999 from 10,583 adolescents in the Growing Up Today Study, a cohort of children of women participating in the Nurses' Health Study II. Results: Ninety-two percent of the cohort described themselves as heterosexual, 5% as mostly heterosexual, 1% as lesbian/gay/bisexual, and 2% as unsure. Both mostly heterosexual girls and boys had greater concerns with weight and appearance and were less happy with their bodies compared with same-gender heterosexuals (all p < .05). Compared with heterosexual girls, the mostly heterosexual girls were more likely to vomit/use laxatives to control weight (odds ratio 1.7; 95% confidence interval = 1.2-2.6) and to binge eat (odds ratio 2.3; 95% confidence interval = 1.4-3.8) in the past year. Compared with heterosexual boys, gay/bisexual boys were more concerned with trying to look like men in the media (p < .05) and more likely to binge (odds ratio 15.2; 95% confidence interval = 3.3-69). Compared with heterosexual girls, lesbian/bisexual girls were happier with their bodies (p < .05) and less concerned with trying to look like women in the media (p < .05). Conclusions: Mostly heterosexual girls and boys are a newly identified group at increased risk of eating disorder symptoms. Gay/bisexual boys were also at increased risk. J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry, 2004;43(9):1115-1123. Key Words: eating disorders, weight concerns, sexual orientation, gay, lesbian, bisexual, homosexual, Growing Up Today Study.
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, P.O. Box 1620, Hagerstown, MD 21741. Tel: 800-638-3030 (Toll Free); Fax: 301-223-2400.
Publication Type: Journal Articles
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: N/A
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A