Eating pathology and obesity in women at risk for breast cancer recurrence

• Published in: The International journal of eating disorders 2000-03, Vol.27 (2), p.172-179
• Main Authors: Rock, Cheryl L., McEligot, Archana J., Flatt, Shirley W., Sobo, Elisa J., Wilfley, Denise E., Jones, Vicky E., Hollenbach, Kathryn A., Marx, Russell D.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Biological and medical sciences; Body Mass Index; Breast cancer; breast cancer recurrence; Breast Neoplasms - psychology; Cross-Sectional Studies; Depression - diagnosis; Depression - psychology; diet; Eating behavior disorders; Eating disorders; EDE-Q; Energy Intake; Feasibility Studies; Feeding and Eating Disorders - diagnosis; Feeding and Eating Disorders - psychology; Female; Humans; Medical sciences; Mental depression; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local - psychology; Obesity; Obesity - psychology; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Risk Factors
• ISSN: 0276-3478; 1098-108X
• DOI: 10.1002/(SICI)1098-108X(200003)27:2<172::AID-EAT5>3.0.CO;2-X

Objective This cross‐sectional study investigated the relationship among obesity, depressive symptoms, eating attitudes and behaviors, and dietary intake. It compared women at risk for recurrence of breast cancer and women who had not been diagnosed with breast cancer and were recruited from the same community and age group (middle‐aged and older). Method Body mass index (BMI), dietary intake, self‐reported depressive symptoms, and eating disorder psychopathology (assessed with the Eating Disorder Examination ‐ Questionnaire [EDE‐Q]) were examined in women who had been diagnosed with breast cancer (n = 56) and the comparison group of women with no breast cancer history (n = 52). Multivariate regression analysis was used to identify factors independently associated with global and subscale EDE‐Q scores and BMI. Results BMI and depressive symptoms were significantly and independently associated with global and subscale EDE‐Q scores in women at risk for breast cancer recurrence and women with no breast cancer history. Dietary restriction was also significantly associated with EDE‐Q scores in the group with no breast cancer history. Conclusions An association among obesity, depressive symptomatology, and abnormal eating attitudes and behavior may affect response to standard nutritional interventions in women at risk for breast cancer recurrence. © 2000 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 27: 172–179, 2000.