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Body image dissatisfaction and the adrenarchal transition
journal contribution
posted on 2018-11-01, 00:00 authored by Elizabeth K Hughes, Lisa K Mundy, Helena RomaniukHelena Romaniuk, Susan M Sawyer, Melissa Wake, Jo Williams, Timothy Olds, Nicholas B Allen, George C PattonBACKGROUND: Puberty marks a transition in risk for body image disturbance and disordered eating. Yet few studies have examined these symptoms across puberty and none have examined links with adrenarche, the earliest phase in the pubertal hormonal cascade. METHOD: Levels of adrenal androgens (dehydroepiandrosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate, and testosterone) were measured in a population-based study of 8- to 9-year-old children (516 males and 621 females). Body dissatisfaction was measured using the Kids' Eating Disorder Scale Silhouettes. Covariates included body mass index, age, and socioeconomic status. RESULTS: There were significant associations between adrenal androgen levels and greater body dissatisfaction in both males and females. Specifically, females with more advanced levels of dehydroepiandrosterone and testosterone relative to peers, and males with more advanced levels of testosterone relative to peers, reported greater body dissatisfaction. However, after adjusting for covariates, hormones levels were no longer associated with body dissatisfaction, and only higher body mass index had a clear association with body dissatisfaction. CONCLUSIONS: The adrenarchal transition brings a heightened risk for body dissatisfaction. Whether this arises from the neuroendocrine effects of adrenal androgens or as a reaction to the greater body mass that accompanies adrenarche requires further exploration.
History
Journal
Journal of adolescent healthVolume
63Issue
5Pagination
621 - 627Publisher
ElsevierLocation
Amsterdam, The NetherlandsPublisher DOI
eISSN
1879-1972Language
engPublication classification
C1 Refereed article in a scholarly journalCopyright notice
2018, Society for Adolescent Health and MedicineUsage metrics
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Keywords
AdrenarchePubertyHormonesBody imageBody mass indexCATS studySocial SciencesScience & TechnologyLife Sciences & BiomedicinePsychology, DevelopmentalPublic, Environmental & Occupational HealthPediatricsPsychologyEATING-DISORDER SYMPTOMSGENETIC INFLUENCESRISKDEHYDROEPIANDROSTERONEADOLESCENCEPREVALENCECORTISOLMENARCHEWEIGHTEducation
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