Do Recognizable Lifetime Eating Disorder Phenotypes Naturally Occur in a Culturally Asian Population? A Combined Latent Profile and Taxometric Approach

• Published in: European eating disorders review 2015-05, Vol.23 (3), p.199-209
• Main Authors: Thomas, Jennifer J., Eddy, Kamryn T., Ruscio, John, Ng, King Lam, Casale, Kristen E., Becker, Anne E., Lee, Sing
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; anorexia nervosa; Anorexia Nervosa - classification; Anorexia Nervosa - diagnosis; Asian Continental Ancestry Group - genetics; Binge-Eating Disorder - classification; Binge-Eating Disorder - diagnosis; Binge-Eating Disorder - psychology; Body Weight; Culture; DSM-5; Eating disorders; Factor Analysis, Statistical; fat phobia; Feeding and Eating Disorders - classification; Feeding and Eating Disorders - diagnosis; Feeding and Eating Disorders - ethnology; Feeding and Eating Disorders - genetics; Feeding and Eating Disorders - psychology; Female; Genotype & phenotype; Hong Kong; Humans; latent profile analysis; Male; Middle Aged; Patients; Phenotype; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales - statistics & numerical data; taxometric analysis; Thinness - psychology; Weight
• ISSN: 1072-4133; 1099-0968
• DOI: 10.1002/erv.2357

Background We examined whether empirically derived eating disorder (ED) categories in Hong Kong Chinese patients (N = 454) would be consistent with recognizable lifetime ED phenotypes derived from latent structure models of European and American samples. Method We performed latent profile analysis (LPA) using indicator variables from data collected during routine assessment, and then applied taxometric analysis to determine whether latent classes were qualitatively versus quantitatively distinct. Results Latent profile analysis identified four classes: (i) binge/purge (47%); (ii) non‐fat‐phobic low‐weight (34%); (iii) fat‐phobic low‐weight (12%); and (iv) overweight disordered eating (6%). Taxometric analysis identified qualitative (categorical) distinctions between the binge/purge and non‐fat‐phobic low‐weight classes, and also between the fat‐phobic and non‐fat‐phobic low‐weight classes. Distinctions between the fat‐phobic low‐weight and binge/purge classes were indeterminate. Conclusion Empirically derived categories in Hong Kong showed recognizable correspondence with recognizable lifetime ED phenotypes. Although taxometric findings support two distinct classes of low weight EDs, LPA findings also support heterogeneity among non‐fat‐phobic individuals. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.