Do risk factors differentiate DSM-5 and drive for thinness severity groups for anorexia nervosa?

• Published in: Journal of eating disorders 2024-01, Vol.12 (1), p.5-5, Article 5
• Main Authors: Dang, An Binh, Kiropoulos, Litza, Anderluh, Marija, Collier, David, Fernandez-Aranda, Fernando, Karwautz, Andreas, Treasure, Janet, Wagner, Gudrun, Krug, Isabel
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: And body mass index; Anorexia; Anorexia nervosa; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; Drive for thinness; Eating disorders; Mental disorders; Obesity; Psychopathology; Ratings & rankings; Risk factors; Severity rating
• ISSN: 2050-2974; 2050-2974
• DOI: 10.1186/s40337-024-00966-5

The current study examined whether risk factors for anorexia nervosa (AN) were related to different levels of severity based on (a) the DSM-5/body mass index (BMI) and (b) drive for thinness (DT) severity ratings. The sample comprised 153 pairs of individuals with a lifetime diagnosis AN per DSM-IV criteria and their non-ED sisters (N = 306, mean age = 26.53; mean current BMI = 20.42 kg/m ). The Oxford risk factor interview was used to establish AN-related risk factors. Individuals were categorised into the DSM-5 severity groups based on their lowest BMI, while the DT subscale from the eating disorder inventory-2 was used to classify individuals with AN into low and high DT groups. Multinominal regression models showed similar risk factors (e.g., perfectionism, having a history of being teased about weight and shape) contributed to the development of AN using the DSM-5 and DT severity ratings. Follow-up analyses across the severity groups for both indices revealed that only childhood perfectionism was found to be more common in the extreme severe DSM-5 BMI severity group compared to the severe DSM-5 group. Overall, this study found little evidence for AN risk factors being related to the DSM-5 and DT severity ratings. However, given the novelty of this study, replication of the current results is warranted.