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. 2016 Sep-Dec;16(3):247-255.
doi: 10.1016/j.ijchp.2016.05.002. Epub 2016 Jul 3.

Predicting onset and maintenance of men's eating disorders

Antonios Dakanalis  1   2 , Joana Pla-Sanjuanelo  3 , Manuela Caslini  2 , Chiara Volpato  2 , Giuseppe Riva  4   5 , Massimo Clerici  2 , Giuseppe Carrà  6
Affiliations

Predicting onset and maintenance of men's eating disorders

Antonios Dakanalis et al. Int J Clin Health Psychol. 2016 Sep-Dec.

Abstract
in English, Spanish

Background/objective: Eating disorders (EDs) represent serious yet understudied mental health issues, particularly amongst young adult men attending colleges, who are at the average age of onset. Despite this and recent evidence that in young adult men the core ED symptoms are prevalent and remain relatively stable over the college period, little is known about factors associated with both the onset and maintenance of diagnosable EDs in this population. This work sought to address these research gaps.

Method: Logistic regression analyses were conducted using data from an on-going longitudinal study of eating and mental health issues to examine the influence of theoretically relevant factors in predicting the onset and maintenance of men's (DSM-5) EDs at 4-year follow-up (N = 2,507).

Results: Body dissatisfaction, self-objectification, appearance-ideal internalization, dieting, and negative affectivity were all predictors of ED onset and maintenance. Self-objectification was the largest contributor to both ED onset and maintenance.

Conclusions: The findings highlight potentially similar psychosocial foci for prevention and treatment efforts. Implications for improving existing preventive and treatment approaches are discussed.

Antecedentes/Objetivo: Los trastornos de la conducta alimentaria (TCAs) representan graves, aunque poco estudiados, problemas de salud mental en las universidades, especialmente en hombres jóvenes, quienes se encuentran en la edad media de inicio. A pesar de la evidencia de que en hombres adultos jóvenes los principales síntomas de TCA son frecuentes y se mantienen relativamente estables durante el período universitario, poco se sabe sobre los factores asociados con la aparición y el mantenimiento de los TCAs en esta población. Este trabajo trata de abordar estas lagunas de investigación. Método: Se realizaron análisis de regresión logística utilizando datos de un estudio longitudinal en curso sobre alimentación y salud mental para examinar la influencia de factores teóricamente relevantes para predecir la aparición y el mantenimiento de los TCAs (DSM-5) en hombres durante 4 años de seguimiento (N = 2.507). Resultados: La insatisfacción corporal, la auto-objetivación, la internalización de la apariencia ideal, las dietas, y la afectividad negativa fueron predictores de inicio y mantenimiento de TCA. La auto-objetivación fue el mayor contribuyente a la aparición y mantenimiento de TCA. Conclusiones: Los resultados destacan focos similares para su prevención y tratamiento. Se discuten las implicaciones para mejorar los enfoques preventivos y de tratamiento existentes.

Keywords: DSM-5; Eating disorders; Ex post facto study; Maintenance; Onset.

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References

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