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. 2021 Aug;54(8):1358-1376.
doi: 10.1002/eat.23524. Epub 2021 May 4.

Psychosocial etiology of maladaptive exercise and its role in eating disorders: A systematic review

Sasha Gorrell  1 , Rachael E Flatt  2 , Cynthia M Bulik  2   3   4   5 , Daniel Le Grange  1   6
Affiliations

Psychosocial etiology of maladaptive exercise and its role in eating disorders: A systematic review

Sasha Gorrell et al. Int J Eat Disord. 2021 Aug.

Abstract
in English, Spanish

Objective: Although maladaptive exercise (ME) is widely recognized as a clinical feature in transdiagnostic eating disorders, less is known about psychosocial factors that give rise to and perpetuate this behavior. This systematic review aimed to examine the empirical status of this association.

Method: We reviewed 46 full text articles examining longitudinal associations between psychosocial variables and ME.

Results: Eighteen studies met full inclusion criteria. Based on our qualitative synthesis, evidence suggests reasonably consistent associations between early concern with weight and shape, and negative affect on later development of ME.

Discussion: Inconsistent and insufficient assessment of ME across a majority of studies underscores caution in interpretation of results, but guides important discussion for future clinical and research efforts.

Objetivo: Aunque el ejercicio desadaptativo (ME, por sus siglas en inglés) es ampliamente reconocido como una característica clínica en el transdiagnóstico de los trastornos alimentarios, se sabe menos acerca de los factores psicosociales que dan lugar a este comportamiento y lo perpetúan. Esta revisión sistemática tuvo como objetivo examinar el estado empírico de esta asociación. MÉTODO: Revisamos cuarenta y seis artículos de texto completo que examinaban las asociaciones longitudinales entre las variables psicosociales y el ME.

Resultados: Dieciocho estudios cumplieron todos los criterios de inclusión. Con base en nuestra síntesis cualitativa, la evidencia sugiere asociaciones razonablemente consistentes entre la preocupación temprana por el peso y la forma, y el afecto negativo sobre el desarrollo posterior de ME. DISCUSIÓN: La evaluación inconsistente e insuficiente del ME en la mayoría de los estudios subraya la cautela en la interpretación de los resultados, pero guía una discusión importante para futuros esfuerzos clínicos y de investigación.

Keywords: compulsive exercise; eating disorder; exercise; maladaptive exercise.

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Conflict of interest statement

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

Dr. Le Grange has received royalties from Guilford Press and Routledge and payments from the Training Institute for Child and Adolescent Eating Disorders, LLC. All authors report no other biomedical financial interests or potential conflicts of interest. Dr. Bulik reports: Shire (grant recipient, Scientific Advisory Board member); Pearson (author, royalty recipient).

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
PRISMA flow diagram
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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