Do eating disorders in parents predict eating disorders in children? Evidence from a Swedish cohort

• Objective: We investigated whether parental eating disorders (ED) predict ED in children, using a large multigeneration register-based sample.Method: We used a subset of the Stockholm Youth Cohort born 1984-1995 and resident in Stockholm County in 2001-2007 (N=286232), The exposure was a diagnosed eating disorder in a parent; the outcome was any eating disorder diagnosis in their offspring, given by a specialist clinician, or inferred from an appointment at a specialist eating disorder clinic. A final study sample of 158697 (55.4%) had data on these variables and confounding factors and contributed a total of 886241personyears to the analysis.Results: We found good evidence in support of the hypothesis that ED in either parent are independently associated with ED in their female children (HR 1.97 (95% CI: 1.17-3.33), P=0.01) and that ED in mothers are independently associated with ED in their female children (HR 2.35 (95% CI: 1.39-3.97) P=0.001). Numbers were too low to permit separate analysis of ED in parents and their male children.Conclusion: Eating disorders in parents were associated with ED in children. This study adds to our knowledge about the intergenerational transmission of ED, which will help identify high-risk groups and brings about the possibility of targeted prevention.

Ämnesord

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskap -- Folkhälsovetenskap, global hälsa, socialmedicin och epidemiologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences -- Public Health, Global Health, Social Medicine and Epidemiology (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

eating disorders

anorexia nervosa

bulimia nervosa

eating disorder not otherwise specified

intergenerational

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

art (ämneskategori)