Biological, psychological and familial specific correlates in eating disorders at onset: a control-case study protocol (ANOBAS)

Abstract

Background. The complexity in the development of an eating disorder (ED) pose methodological challenges when addressing risk factors of this pathology. Pike et al (2008) proposed to use a case-control design for this type of research. The eating disorders’ risk factor study (ANOBAS) is a case-control study with three control groups aiming to evaluate several variables related to the onset of ED, thus the aim was to illustrate a new methodology proposal and to assess whether the chosen control groups are appropriate to research correlates on ED.

Methods. We used a case-control design of 50 female adolescents with ED at onset matched by age and their parents’ socioeconomic status with 40 patients with an affective disorder, 40 patients with asthma pathology and 50 without pathology. Diagnoses were completed with K-SADS interview and an evaluation of biological, psychological, environmental and family correlates.

Results. Higher similarities were found between the ED group and the affective disorder group across psychological variables, whereas the similarities between the ED group and the asthma group were found at the familial level, as we expected. The biggest differences were found with the non-pathology group.

Conclusions. This rigorous research design allows investigating correlates associated specifically to the onset of an ED and the chosen control groups are suitable to investigate it.