Prospective Predictors of Eating Disorder Duration and Transition to a Second Distinct Eating‐Disorder Family in Adolescent Girls and Young Women
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: OBJECTIVE: This hypothesis-generating study examined whether baseline risk factors and baseline eating-disorder symptoms predicted first eating-disorder episode duration and time from first incident eating-disorder onset to transition to a second distinct eating-disorder family among participants who developed an eating disorder during follow-up. METHOD: Data came from four prevention trials of participants at elevated risk because of body image concerns. The analytic sample included 223 participants who were eating-disorder-free at baseline and developed an eating disorder during 36-month follow-up. First-episode duration was defined as the duration of the first continuous eating-disorder episode. Age- and condition-adjusted Cox proportional-hazards models examined predictors of time to remission. For Aim 2, condition-adjusted Cox proportional-hazards models examined time from first eating-disorder onset to the first subsequent diagnosis from a different eating-disorder family, with participants who did not transition to a second family right-censored at their last observed diagnostic month. RESULTS: Higher baseline BMI z-score (zBMI) was associated with faster remission from the first continuous eating-disorder episode (HR = 1.170, 95% CI [1.005, 1.362], p = 0.043). Higher baseline dieting was associated with a higher rate of transition to a second distinct eating-disorder family (HR = 1.421, 95% CI [1.034, 1.952], p = 0.030). DISCUSSION: Higher baseline zBMI was associated with faster remission from the first continuous eating-disorder episode, whereas higher baseline dieting was associated with a higher rate of transition to a second distinct eating-disorder family. These exploratory findings warrant replication in future studies.
DOI: 10.1002/eat.70240
Authors: Koto Imahori, Yuko Yamamiya, Eric Stice
Institutions: Stanford Medicine, Stanford University, Temple University, Japan
Language: English
Subfield: Clinical Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
Awards: Eating Disorder Prevention Program Effectiveness Trial, G1380658711, TEST OF A DISSONANCE EATING DISORDER PREVENTION PROGRAM, G4493368228, Eating Disorders Prevention: An Effectiveness Trial for At-Risk College Students, Dissonance Eating Disorder Prevention: Clinician-Led, Peer-Led, vs Web-Delivered
OpenAlex ID: W7221557720