Abstract
This study examined the prevalence of disordered eating symptomatology and their associations with socio-demographic characteristics and health indicators in a nationally representative sample of Canadian women aged 50 years and older. The study also examined associations of disordered eating symptomatology with comorbid mood disorders, anxiety disorders and alcohol dependence. The study was based on secondary data analysis of the Canadian Community Health Survey, cycle 1.2. About 2.6% of women 50–64 years old and 1.8% of women 65 years or older reported disordered eating symptomatology. These women exhibited elevated frequencies of dieting behaviors and preoccupation with food intake and body shape. Disordered eating symptomatology was positively associated with stress level and negatively associated with physical health. Similar to findings in younger women, risk of eating disorders was strongly associated with mood and anxiety disorders. Results indicate that the risk of having eating disorders is a lifelong concern. Hence, older women should be screened for symptoms of disordered eating and associated psychiatric comorbidity.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
American Psychiatric Association (1994) Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, 4th edn. APA, Washington, DC
Blinder BJ, Cumella EJ, Sanathara VA (2006) Psychiatric comorbidities of female inpatients with eating disorders. Psychosom Med 68(3):454–462
Brewerton TD, Lydiard RB, Herzog DB, Brotman AW, O’Neil PM, Ballenger JC (1995) Comorbidity of Axis I psychiatric disorders in bulimia nervosa. J Clin Psychiatry 56:77–80
Bulik CM, Sullivan DF, Fear JL, Joyce PR (1997) Eating disorders and antecedent anxiety disorders: a controlled study. Acta Psychiatr Scand 96:101–107
Chapman IM (2006) Nutritional disorders in the elderly. Med Clin North Am 90(5):887–907
Clarke DM, Wahlqvist ML, Rassias CR, Strauss BJ (1999) Psychological factors in nutritional disorders of the elderly: part of the spectrum of eating disorders. Int J Eat Disord 25(3):345–348
Cosford P, Arnold E (1992) Eating disorders in later life: a review. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry 7:491–498
Courbasson CM, Smith PD, Cleland PA (2005) Substance use disorders, anorexia, bulimia, and concurrent disorders. Can J Public Health 96(2):102–106
Dansky BS, Brewerton TD, Kilpatrick DG (2000) Comorbidity of bulimia nervosa and alcohol use disorders: results from the National Women’s Study. Int J Eat Disord 27:180–190
Fornari V, Kaplan M, Sandberg DE, Mathews M, Skolnick N, Katz JL (1992) Depressive and anxiety disorders in anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Int J Eat Disord 12:21–29
Gadalla TM (2008) Comparison of users and nonusers of mental health services among depressed women: a national study. Women Health 47(1):1–19
Gadalla TM, Piran N (2007) Co-occurrence of eating disorders and alcohol use disorders in women: a meta analysis. Arch Women’s Ment Health 10:133–140
Garner DM, Olmsted MP, Bohr Y, Garfinkel PE (1982) The eating attitudes test: psychometric features and clinical correlates. Psychol Med 12:871–878
Godart NT, Perdereau F, Rein Z, Berthoz S, Wallier J, Jeammet Ph, Flament MF (2007) Comorbidity studies of eating disorders and mood disorders. Critical review of the literature. J Affect Disord 97:37–49
Grucza RA, Przybeck TR, Cloninger CR (2007) Prevalence and correlates of binge eating disorder in a community sample. Compr Psychiatry 48:124–131
Gupta MA, Schork NJ (1993) Aging-related concerns and body image: possible future implications for eating disorders. Int J Eat Disord 14(4):481–486
Hudson JI, Hiripi E, Pope HG, Kessler RC (2007) The prevalence and correlates of eating disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Biol Psychiatry 61:348–358
Jordan J, Joyce PR, Carter FA, Horn J, McIntosh VW, Luty SE, McKenzie JM, Frampton CM, Mulder RT, Bulik CM (2008) Specific and nonspecific comorbidity in anorexia nervosa. Int J Eat Disord 41:47–56
Kessler RC, Andrews G, Mroczek D, Ustun B, Wittchen H (1998) The World Health Organization Composite International Diagnostic Interview Short-Form (CIDI-SF). Int J Methods Psychiatr Res 7:171–185
Kessler RC, McGonagle KA, Zhao S, Nelson CB, Hughes M, Eshleman S, Wittchen H, Kendler KS (1994) Lifetime and 12-month prevalence of DSM-III-R psychiatric disorders in the United States: results from the national comorbidity survey. Arch Gen Psychiatry 51:8–19
Krahn DD, Kurth CL, Gomberg E, Drewnowski A (2005) Pathological dieting and alcohol use in college women—a continuum of behaviors. Eat Behav 6:43–52
Mangweth-Matzek B, Rupp CI, Hausmann A, Assmayr K, Mariacher E, Kemmler G, Whitworth AB, Biebl W (2006) Never too old for eating disorders or body dissatisfaction: a community study of elderly women. Int J Eat Disord 39:583–586
Milos G, Spindler A, Schnyder U (2004) Psychiatric comorbidity and eating disorder inventory (EDI) profiles in eating disorder patients. Can J Psychiatry 49:179–184
Piran N, Gadalla TM (2006) Eating disorders and substance abuse in Canadian women: a national study. Addiction 102:105–113
Statistics Canada (2002) Canadian Community Health Survey, Mental Health and well Being. Public use microdata documentation. Tunney’s Pasture, Ottawa
Stewart SH, Angelopoulos M, Baker JM, Boland FJ (2000) Relations between dietary restraint and patterns of alcohol use in young adult women. Psychol Addict Behav 14:77–82
Webster J, Tiggemann M (2003) The relationship between women’s body dissatisfaction and self-image across the life span: the role of cognitive control. J Gen Psych 164:241–252
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Gadalla, T.M. Eating disorders and associated psychiatric comorbidity in elderly Canadian women. Arch Womens Ment Health 11, 357–362 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-008-0031-8
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-008-0031-8