Citation

Kaltiala-Heino R, Rissanen A, Rimpelä M, Rantanen P. Psychother. Psychosom. 2003; 72(1): 26-33.

Affiliation

University of Tampere, Tampere School of Public Health, and Tampere University Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Tampere, Finland. merihe@uta.fi

Copyright

(Copyright © 2003, Karger Publishers)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

12466635

Abstract

BACKGROUND: In clinical samples, bulimia seems to be associated with various dyscontrol behaviours suggesting weakness in impulse control. Population studies of adolescents, however, are needed. We evaluated the association between self-reported bulimic behaviour and a number of dyscontrol behaviours, namely bullying, truancy, excessive drinking and sexual disinhibition among adolescents aged 14-16. This is the first study on bulimia and impulsivity in a large non-selected adolescent population sample. METHODS: A self-report questionnaire was administered to a representative population sample of 14- to 16-year-old adolescents (pupils of the 8th and the 9th grades of secondary school in four different regions in Finland). 4,453 girls and 4,334 boys aged 14-16 participated. The participation rate was 85.5%. RESULTS: Bulimic behaviour was associated with bullying, truancy, excessive drinking and sexual disinhibition among both sexes. Odds ratios for bulimic-type eating pathology according to each of these behaviours varied between 1.7 and 4.1. The more dyscontrol behaviours occurred simultaneously, the more likely was bulimic-type eating pathology. CONCLUSIONS: There is an association between bulimic behaviour and dyscontrol behaviours in the general population of adolescent girls and boys.

Language: en