A comparative meta-analysis of the prevalence of exercise addiction in adults with and without indicated eating disorders

Mike Trott¹, Sarah E Jackson², Joseph Firth^{3

4

5}, Louis Jacob⁶, Igor Grabovac⁷, Amit Mistry^{8

9}, Brendon Stubbs^{10

11

12}, Lee Smith¹³

Affiliations

¹ Cambridge Centre for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Anglia Ruskin University, Compass House, Cambridge, CB1 1PT, UK. mike.trott@pgr.anglia.ac.uk.
² Department of Behavioural Science and Health, University College London, London, WC1E 7HB, UK.
³ Division of Psychology and Mental Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
⁴ NICM Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, Westmead, Australia.
⁵ Centre for Youth Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
⁶ Faculty of Medicine, University of Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, Montigny-le-Bretonneux, 78180, France.
⁷ Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Centre for Public Health, Medical University of Vienna, Kinderspitalgasse 15/1, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
⁸ Eating Disorders Service, Barnet, Enfield & Haringey Mental Health Trust, Cambridge, UK.
⁹ RCPsych Sport and Exercise Psychiatry Special Interest Group, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK.
¹⁰ Positive Ageing Research Institute (PARI), Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK.
¹¹ Physiotherapy Department, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, Denmark Hills, London, SE5 8AZ, UK.
¹² Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, De Crespigny Park, Box, London, SE5 8AF, UK.
¹³ Cambridge Centre for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Anglia Ruskin University, Compass House, Cambridge, CB1 1PT, UK.

PMID: 31894540
DOI: 10.1007/s40519-019-00842-1

Meta-Analysis

A comparative meta-analysis of the prevalence of exercise addiction in adults with and without indicated eating disorders

Mike Trott et al. Eat Weight Disord. 2021 Feb.

. 2021 Feb;26(1):37-46.

doi: 10.1007/s40519-019-00842-1. Epub 2020 Jan 1.

Authors

Mike Trott¹, Sarah E Jackson², Joseph Firth^{3

4

5}, Louis Jacob⁶, Igor Grabovac⁷, Amit Mistry^{8

9}, Brendon Stubbs^{10

11

12}, Lee Smith¹³

Affiliations

¹ Cambridge Centre for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Anglia Ruskin University, Compass House, Cambridge, CB1 1PT, UK. mike.trott@pgr.anglia.ac.uk.
² Department of Behavioural Science and Health, University College London, London, WC1E 7HB, UK.
³ Division of Psychology and Mental Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
⁴ NICM Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, Westmead, Australia.
⁵ Centre for Youth Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
⁶ Faculty of Medicine, University of Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, Montigny-le-Bretonneux, 78180, France.
⁷ Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Centre for Public Health, Medical University of Vienna, Kinderspitalgasse 15/1, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
⁸ Eating Disorders Service, Barnet, Enfield & Haringey Mental Health Trust, Cambridge, UK.
⁹ RCPsych Sport and Exercise Psychiatry Special Interest Group, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK.
¹⁰ Positive Ageing Research Institute (PARI), Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK.
¹¹ Physiotherapy Department, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, Denmark Hills, London, SE5 8AZ, UK.
¹² Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, De Crespigny Park, Box, London, SE5 8AF, UK.
¹³ Cambridge Centre for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Anglia Ruskin University, Compass House, Cambridge, CB1 1PT, UK.

PMID: 31894540
DOI: 10.1007/s40519-019-00842-1

Abstract

Background: Exercise addiction is associated with multiple adverse outcomes and can be classified as co-occurring with an eating disorder, or a primary condition with no indication of eating disorders. We conducted a meta-analysis exploring the prevalence of exercise addiction in adults with and without indicated eating disorders.

Methods: A systematic review of major databases and grey literature was undertaken from inception to 30/04/2019. Studies reporting prevalence of exercise addiction with and without indicated eating disorders in adults were identified. A random effect meta-analysis was undertaken, calculating odds ratios for exercise addiction with versus without indicated eating disorders.

Results: Nine studies with a total sample of 2140 participants (mean age = 25.06; 70.6% female) were included. Within these, 1732 participants did not show indicated eating disorders (mean age = 26.4; 63.0% female) and 408 had indicated eating disorders (mean age = 23.46; 79.2% female). The odds ratio for exercise addiction in populations with versus without indicated eating disorders was 3.71 (95% CI 2.00-6.89; I² = 81; p ≤ 0.001). Exercise addiction prevalence in both populations differed according to the measurement instrument used.

Discussion: Exercise addiction occurs more than three and a half times as often as a comorbidity to an eating disorder than in people without an indicated eating disorder. The creation of a measurement tool able to identify exercise addiction risk in both populations would benefit researchers and practitioners by easily classifying samples.

Keywords: Addiction; Disordered eating; Eating disorders; Exercise addiction; Exercise dependence; Pathological exercise.

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References

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A comparative meta-analysis of the prevalence of exercise addiction in adults with and without indicated eating disorders

Affiliations

A comparative meta-analysis of the prevalence of exercise addiction in adults with and without indicated eating disorders

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract

References

Publication types

MeSH terms

Grants and funding

LinkOut - more resources

Full Text Sources

Medical