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Association between symptoms of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and bulimic behaviors in a clinical sample of severely obese adolescents

Association between symptoms of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and bulimic behaviors in a clinical sample of severely obese adolescents
Association between symptoms of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and bulimic behaviors in a clinical sample of severely obese adolescents
Objective: preliminary evidence suggests a comorbidity between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and obesity. This study was carried out to identify the clinical characteristics of obese adolescents with a higher probability of ADHD and advance the understanding of the potential factors underlying the comorbidity between obesity and ADHD. We evaluated the association between ADHD symptoms and bulimic behaviors, depressive and anxiety symptoms, degree of obesity, pubertal stage, age and gender in a clinical sample of obese adolescents.

Design: cross-sectional study.

Subjects: ninety-nine severely obese adolescents aged 12–17 years.

Measurements: subjects filled out the Bulimic Investigatory Test, Edinburgh, the Beck Depression Inventory and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children. Their parents completed the Conners Parent Rating Scale, which assesses ADHD symptoms. The degree of overweight was expressed as body mass index-z score. Puberty development was clinically assessed on the basis of Tanner stages.

Results: bulimic behaviors were significantly associated with ADHD symptoms after controlling for depressive and anxiety symptoms. The degree of overweight, pubertal stage, age and gender were not significantly associated with ADHD symptoms.

Conclusion: obese adolescents with bulimic behaviors may have a higher probability to present with ADHD symptoms independently from associated depressive or anxiety symptoms. The degree of overweight, pubertal stage, age and gender might not be useful for detecting obese adolescents with ADHD symptoms. Therefore, we suggest systematic screening for ADHD in obese adolescents with bulimic behaviors. Further studies are needed to understand which specific dimension of ADHD primarily accounts for the association with bulimic behaviors. Future research should also investigate the causal link between bulimic behaviors and ADHD and explore potential common neurobiological alterations. This may lead to a better understanding of the effectiveness of stimulants for the treatment of bulimic behaviors in obese subjects
ADHD, bulimic behaviors, eating disorders, children-adolescents
0307-0565
340-346
Cortese, Samuele
53d4bf2c-4e0e-4c77-9385-218350560fdb
Isnard, P.
7db23768-16c9-4dd9-9aaf-a15ca9ce8649
Frelut, M.L.
1e9c4fb7-d6a1-4ffa-a0a8-39bfd175d887
Michel, G.
25a154f4-f011-4cc2-a697-bd512b70bb86
Quantin, L.
2979c097-38e1-4b25-8f2a-dd35a914ff51
Guedeney, A.
03e5a2f2-7ea6-4497-8f04-08ce0ecd35d3
Falissard, B.
28ecff35-44af-4e32-846e-544c478b565f
Acquaviva, E.
8e5646c8-fa83-416c-8750-2ae8c4ab9bd9
Dalla Bernardina, B.
90462273-8232-466f-9f6a-84e345700350
Mouren, M.C.
448edef1-5ed4-48cb-a252-2d35da339958
Cortese, Samuele
53d4bf2c-4e0e-4c77-9385-218350560fdb
Isnard, P.
7db23768-16c9-4dd9-9aaf-a15ca9ce8649
Frelut, M.L.
1e9c4fb7-d6a1-4ffa-a0a8-39bfd175d887
Michel, G.
25a154f4-f011-4cc2-a697-bd512b70bb86
Quantin, L.
2979c097-38e1-4b25-8f2a-dd35a914ff51
Guedeney, A.
03e5a2f2-7ea6-4497-8f04-08ce0ecd35d3
Falissard, B.
28ecff35-44af-4e32-846e-544c478b565f
Acquaviva, E.
8e5646c8-fa83-416c-8750-2ae8c4ab9bd9
Dalla Bernardina, B.
90462273-8232-466f-9f6a-84e345700350
Mouren, M.C.
448edef1-5ed4-48cb-a252-2d35da339958

Cortese, Samuele, Isnard, P., Frelut, M.L., Michel, G., Quantin, L., Guedeney, A., Falissard, B., Acquaviva, E., Dalla Bernardina, B. and Mouren, M.C. (2007) Association between symptoms of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and bulimic behaviors in a clinical sample of severely obese adolescents. International Journal of Obesity, 31 (2), 340-346. (doi:10.1038/sj.ijo.0803400).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Objective: preliminary evidence suggests a comorbidity between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and obesity. This study was carried out to identify the clinical characteristics of obese adolescents with a higher probability of ADHD and advance the understanding of the potential factors underlying the comorbidity between obesity and ADHD. We evaluated the association between ADHD symptoms and bulimic behaviors, depressive and anxiety symptoms, degree of obesity, pubertal stage, age and gender in a clinical sample of obese adolescents.

Design: cross-sectional study.

Subjects: ninety-nine severely obese adolescents aged 12–17 years.

Measurements: subjects filled out the Bulimic Investigatory Test, Edinburgh, the Beck Depression Inventory and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children. Their parents completed the Conners Parent Rating Scale, which assesses ADHD symptoms. The degree of overweight was expressed as body mass index-z score. Puberty development was clinically assessed on the basis of Tanner stages.

Results: bulimic behaviors were significantly associated with ADHD symptoms after controlling for depressive and anxiety symptoms. The degree of overweight, pubertal stage, age and gender were not significantly associated with ADHD symptoms.

Conclusion: obese adolescents with bulimic behaviors may have a higher probability to present with ADHD symptoms independently from associated depressive or anxiety symptoms. The degree of overweight, pubertal stage, age and gender might not be useful for detecting obese adolescents with ADHD symptoms. Therefore, we suggest systematic screening for ADHD in obese adolescents with bulimic behaviors. Further studies are needed to understand which specific dimension of ADHD primarily accounts for the association with bulimic behaviors. Future research should also investigate the causal link between bulimic behaviors and ADHD and explore potential common neurobiological alterations. This may lead to a better understanding of the effectiveness of stimulants for the treatment of bulimic behaviors in obese subjects

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More information

Published date: 2007
Keywords: ADHD, bulimic behaviors, eating disorders, children-adolescents
Organisations: Clinical Neuroscience

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 380467
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/380467
ISSN: 0307-0565
PURE UUID: f0148697-cf8f-4838-9eb0-c1218e4e727c
ORCID for Samuele Cortese: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0001-5877-8075

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Date deposited: 11 Sep 2015 08:53
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 03:52

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Contributors

Author: Samuele Cortese ORCID iD
Author: P. Isnard
Author: M.L. Frelut
Author: G. Michel
Author: L. Quantin
Author: A. Guedeney
Author: B. Falissard
Author: E. Acquaviva
Author: B. Dalla Bernardina
Author: M.C. Mouren

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