Early Detection of Growth Impairment among Children and Adolescents with Eating Disorders: A Cross-Sectional Correlational Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55018/janh.v7i2.316Keywords:
Adolescent Growth, Body Mass Index (BMI), Eating Disorders, EAT-26Abstract
Background: The growth and development of children and adolescents are influenced by multiple factors, including nutrition, physical health, and psychosocial balance. Eating disorders (EDs) are among the conditions that can significantly disrupt this process, both physiologically and psychologically. Global and local data indicate a rising prevalence of eating disorders among adolescents, which negatively impacts nutritional status and physical growth. This study aims to identify and analyze the relationship between the risk of eating disorders and growth disturbances in children and adolescents based on anthropometric indicators.
Methods: This study employed a quantitative, cross-sectional correlational design and was reported by the STROBE (Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology) guidelines. A total of 120 participants aged 10–18 years from three schools in Kendari City were included. The risk of eating disorders was measured using the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26), while growth status was assessed through measurements of body weight, height, and body mass index (BMI), based on WHO standards. Data were analyzed using Spearman’s correlation test and multiple linear regression to evaluate the association and predictive effect of EAT-26 scores on growth indicators, controlling for age and gender.
Results: A total of 39.2% of respondents had EAT-26 scores ≥20, indicating a risk of eating disorders. There was a significant negative correlation between EAT-26 scores and BMI (r = -0.421; p < 0.01), height (r = -0.315; p < 0.01), and weight (r = -0.386; p < 0.01). Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that EAT-26 scores significantly predicted BMI (β = -0.373; t = -4.698; p < 0.001), after controlling for age and gender, with an R² of 0.198. In contrast, age (p = 0.125) and gender (p = 0.262) did not show significant effects. These findings indicate that the risk of eating disorders significantly contributes to decreased nutritional status, regardless of age and gender.
Conclusion: Eating disorders significantly contribute to impaired nutritional status and growth in children and adolescents. EAT-26 scores were negatively correlated with BMI, body weight, and height, and served as a significant predictor of BMI, while age and gender showed no significant effects. Early detection of eating disorder risk within school settings is crucial to prevent long-term impacts on adolescents' physical growth and health. Screening tools such as the EAT-26 can serve as effective initial instruments in promotive and preventive health programs.
Downloads
References
D’Adamo, L., Smolar, L., Balantekin, K., Taylor, C. B., Wilfley, D., & Fitzsimmons-Craft, E. (2023). Prevalence, Characteristics, and Correlates of Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder among Adult Respondents to the National Eating Disorders Association Online Screen: A Cross-Sectional Study. Research Square, rs.3.rs-3007049. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-3007049/v1
De Arriba Muñoz, A., García Castellanos, M. T., Cajal, M. D., Beisti Ortego, A., Ruiz, I. M., & Labarta Aizpún, J. I. (2022). Automated growth monitoring app (GROWIN): A mobile Health (mHealth) tool to improve the diagnosis and early management of growth and nutritional disorders in childhood. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 29(9), 1508–1517. https://doi.org/10.1093/jamia/ocac108
Haines, M. S. (2023). Endocrine complications of anorexia nervosa. Journal of Eating Disorders, 11(1), 24. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-023-00744-9
Lim, T. S. H., Wong, C. Y., Lin, C., Phua, Q. Q., Tok, A. E. S., Cheng, A. S. M., Chan, Y. H., & Aw, M. M. (2024). Diet, growth, nutritional status and predictors of severity of feeding difficulties in autistic children with co-occurring pediatric feeding disorder. Early Human Development, 199, 106137. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2024.106137
López-Cepero, A. A., Mattei, J., Frisard, C., Riseberg, E., Jimenez, J., Lemon, S. C., & Rosal, M. C. (2021). Dysfunctional Eating Behaviors and Dietary Intake in Puerto Rico. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, 23(4), 867–870. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-021-01156-0
Malla, G., (Pradhan) Joshi, S., & Thapa, A. (2021). Body Image Dissatisfaction among Adolescent Girls of a Municipality in Kathmandu: A Cross-sectional Survey. Journal of Nepal Medical Association, 59(241), 902–905. https://doi.org/10.31729/jnma.5378
Modan-Moses, D., Yaroslavsky, A., Pinhas-Hamiel, O., Levy-Shraga, Y., Kochavi, B., Iron-Segev, S., Enoch-Levy, A., Toledano, A., & Stein, D. (2021). Prospective Longitudinal Assessment of Linear Growth and Adult Height in Female Adolescents With Anorexia Nervosa. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 106(1), e1–e10. https://doi.org/10.1210/clinem/dgaa510
Morris, A., Elliott, E., & Madden, S. (2022). Early‐onset eating disorders in Australian children: A national surveillance study showing increased incidence. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 55(12), 1838–1842. https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.23794
Papini, N. M., Jung, M., Cook, A., Lopez, N. V., Ptomey, L. T., Herrmann, S. D., & Kang, M. (2022). Psychometric properties of the 26-item eating attitudes test (EAT-26): An application of rasch analysis. Journal of Eating Disorders, 10(1), 62. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-022-00580-3
Propper‐Lewinsohn, T., Gillon‐Keren, M., Shalitin, S., Elran‐Barak, R., Yackobovitch‐Gavan, M., Fayman, G., David, M., Liberman, A., Phillip, M., & Oron, T. (2023). Disordered eating behaviours in adolescents with type 1 diabetes can be influenced by their weight at diagnosis and rapid weight gain subsequently. Diabetic Medicine, 40(11), e15166. https://doi.org/10.1111/dme.15166
Purnamasari, A., Asbath, S., Cece, I., Lisnawati, L., & Andas, A. M. (2024). Kesehatan Mental Anak Dan Remaja (Memahami dan Mengatasi Risiko Eating Disorder). PT. Sonpedia Publishing Indonesia. https://books.google.co.id/books/about/Kesehatan_Mental_Anak_dan_Remaja_Memaham.html?id=jsgZEQAAQBAJ&redir_esc=y
Purnamasari, A., Nazaruddin, N., Lestari, S. A., Nofitasari, A., Said, A., Mudatsir, A., & Romantika, I. W. (2023). Peningkatan Pengetahuan Ibu dalam Upaya Preventif dan Deteksi Dini Balita Short Stature dan Stunting Melalui Pendekatan MTBS di Wilayah Kerja Puskesmas Abeli. Karya Kesehatan Journal Community Engangement, 4(01), 21–23. https://doi.org/10.46233/k2jce.v4i01.1003
Purnamasari, A., Zoahira, W. O. A., Zahalim, Z., Said, A., Fety, Y., & Pongdatu, M. (2023, December 16). Impact Of Covid-19 On The Mental Health Of School Children Using The Children Depression Inventory (CDI) Instrument: Mental Health Of School Children. https://ijhsrd.com/index.php/ijhsrd/article/view/177. https://doi.org/10.36566/ijhsrd/Vol5.Iss2/177
Rosello, R., Gledhill, J., Yi, I., Watkins, B., Harvey, L., Hosking, A., Viner, R., & Nicholls, D. (2021). Early intervention in child and adolescent eating disorders: The role of a parenting group. European Eating Disorders Review, 29(3), 519–526. https://doi.org/10.1002/erv.2798
Roy-Lavallee, J., Bahrani, B., Weinstein, M., & Katzman, D. K. (2020). Scurvy: An Unexpected Nutritional Complication in an Adolescent Female With Anorexia Nervosa. Journal of Adolescent Health, 67(4), 618–620. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2020.02.022
Steegers, C., Dieleman, G., Moskalenko, V., Santos, S., Hillegers, M., White, T., & Jansen, P. W. (2021). The longitudinal relationship between set‐shifting at 4 years of age and eating disorder related features at 9 years of age in the general pediatric population. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 54(12), 2180–2191. https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.23633
Stice, E., & Shaw, H. (2020). Reward processing and future life stress: Stress generation pathway to depression. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 128(6), 492–492. https://doi.org/10.1037/abn0000456
Stordeur, C., Ayrolles, A., Trebossen, V., Barret, S., Baillin, F., Poncet-Kalifa, H., Meslot, C., Clarke, J., Bargiacchi, A., Peyre, H., & Delorme, R. (2024). Early-onset restrictive food intake disorders in children: A latent class analysis. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 33(7), 2273–2279. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-023-02316-3
Sulistyan, A., Huriyati, E., & Hastuti, J. (2016). Distorsi citra tubuh, perilaku makan, dan fad diets pada remaja putri di Yogyakarta. Jurnal Gizi Klinik Indonesia, 12(3), 99. https://doi.org/10.22146/ijcn.22644
Tekola, A., Regassa, L. D., Berhanu, H., Mandefro, M., Shawel, S., Kassa, O., & Roba, K. T. (2024). Disordered eating behaviors and associated factors among secondary school adolescents in Harar town, eastern Ethiopia: Cross-sectional study. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 15, 1459073. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1459073
Thompson, J. K., & Ordaz, D. L. (2016). Chasing the Ideal: The Role of Body Image in Anabolic Steroid Misuse. Journal of Adolescent Health, 58(4), 379. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2016.01.010
World Health Organization. (2021). Infant and young child feeding. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/infant-and-young-child-feeding
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Anisa Purnamasari, Wa Ode Aisa Zoahira, I Wayan Romantika, Apriyanti Apriyanti
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
