Role of developmental trauma in disordered eating and excess body weight in adolescence, The

2018 Spring.Includes bibliographical references.Psychological trauma and the human response to trauma have been characterized as one of the most important threats to public health. Developmental trauma, referring to traumatic events experienced during childhood and/or adolescence, is of particular concern given the potential biological, neurological, psychological, and relational impact of trauma on the developing child, with possible consequences lasting a lifetime. Youth may deal with developmental trauma by utilizing disordered eating behaviors like loss of control eating in efforts to cope with distress; loss of control eating can, in turn, cause excess weight gain. Adolescence is a particularly salient time for the initiation and maintenance of disordered eating, but it is unclear to what extent developmental trauma is associated with loss of control eating and excess weight in adolescence. Further, it is unknown what role developmental trauma has on affect and attachment, two developmental domains presumed to be affected by trauma, and how affect and attachment are associated with loss of control eating and excess weight gain in adolescence. This dissertation project utilized secondary data from a sample of adolescents at risk for excess weight gain, by having above-average body mass index (BMI >70 percentile for age and sex) or having a family history of overweight or obesity, to evaluate two aims. The first aim investigated associations between developmental trauma and disordered eating and developmental trauma and excess body weight, measured as BMI standard score, in adolescence. The second aim explored negative affect, measured as symptoms of depression and symptoms of anxiety, and attachment, measured as emotional support, as mediators of the associations of developmental trauma with disordered eating and BMI standard score. Approximately 58% of the sample endorsed at least one traumatic event. Developmental trauma count was associated with greater depressive and anxiety symptoms and lower BMI standard score, but it was not significantly associated with global disordered eating or loss of control eating. An indirect effect of developmental trauma on global disordered eating via depressive symptoms was observed. Symptoms of anxiety and emotional support did not mediate the associations of developmental trauma with disordered eating or BMI standard score. Results highlight the unique role of depressive symptoms in the relationship of developmental trauma to disordered eating. If replicated, particularly with a longitudinal design, findings have the potential to inform prevention and intervention efforts for a particularly vulnerable population: youth who have experienced trauma and may be at risk for or are experiencing disordered eating and excess body weight

“Las penas con pan duelen menos”: The role of food and culture in Latinas with disordered eating behaviors

This study elucidated the experiences of eighteen Latina adults (mean age = 38.5 years) from “Promoviendo una Alimentación Saludable” Project who received nutritional intervention as part of the clinical trial. Half of the participants were first generation immigrants from Mexico (50%), followed by U.S. born with 16.7%. Remaining nationalities represented were Bolivia, Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras, Peru, and Venezuela with 33.3% combined. The average duration of living in the U.S. was 11.1 years. The mean body mass index (BMI) at baseline was 36.59 kg/m2 (SD=7.72). Based on the DSM-IV, 28% (n=5) participants were diagnosed with binge-eating disorder, 33% (n=6) with bulimia nervosa purging type and 39% (n=7) with eating disorder not otherwise specified. Participants received up to three nutritional sessions; a bilingual dietitian conducted 97.8% of sessions in Spanish. In total, fifty nutritional sessions were included in the qualitative analysis. A three step qualitative analysis was conducted. First, a bilingual research team documented each topic discussed by patients and all interventions conducted by the dietitian. Second, all topics were classified into specific categories and the frequency was documented. Third, a consensus with the dietitian was performed to validate the categories identified by the research team. Six categories (describing eating patterns, emotional distress, Latino culture values, family conflicts associated with disturbed eating behaviors, lack of knowledge of healthy eating, and treatment progress) emerged from patients across all nutritional sessions. Considering the background of immigration and trauma (60%, n=15) in this sample; the appropriate steps of nutritional intervention appear to be: 1) elucidating the connection between food and emotional distress, 2) providing psychoeducation of healthy eating patterns using the plate method, and 3) developing a meal plan

The magnificent seven : A proposal for modest revision of the Van der Voo (1990) quality index

Thirty years ago, Rob Van der Voo proposed an elegant and simple system for evaluating the quality of paleomagnetic data. As a second-year Ph.D. student, the lead author remembers Rob waxing philosophical about the need to have an appropriate, but not overly rigid evaluation system. The end result was a 7-point system that assigned a (1) or (0) for any paleomagnetic result based on objective criteria. The goal was never to reject or blindly accept any particular result, but merely to indicate the degree of quality for any paleomagnetic pole. At the time, the global paleomagnetic database was burgeoning and it was deemed useful to rank older paleo magnetic results with the newer data being developed in modern laboratories. Van der Voo's, 1990 paper launched a silent revolution in paleomagnetism. Researchers began to evaluate their data against those seven criteria with the anticipation that reviewers would be similarly critical. Today, paleomagnetism is a mature science. Our methods, analyses, and results are more sophisticated than they were 30 years ago. Therefore, we feel it is appropriate to revisit the Van der Voo (1990) criteria in light of those developments. We hope to honor the intention of the original paper by keeping the criteria simple and easy to evaluate while also acknowledging the advances in science. This paper aims to update the criteria and modernize the process. We base our changes on advances in paleomagnetism and geochronology with a faithful adherence to the simplicity of the original publication. We offer the "Reliability" or "R" index as the next generation of the Van der Voo "Quality" or "Q" index. The new R-criteria evaluate seven different information items for each paleomagnetic pole including age, statistical requirements, identification of magnetic carriers, field tests, structural integrity, presence of reversals and an evaluation for possible remagnetization.Peer reviewe

One-Year Follow-Up of a Randomized Controlled Trial Piloting a Mindfulness-Based Group Intervention for Adolescent Insulin Resistance

IntroductionTo explore if a brief mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) leads to sustained, improved clinical outcomes in adolescents at-risk for type 2 diabetes (T2D).MethodsParticipants were 12–17y girls with overweight/obesity, elevated depression symptoms, and T2D family history participating in a randomized, controlled pilot trial of a six-session MBI vs. cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) group. At baseline and 1-year, mindfulness, depression, insulin resistance (IR), and body composition were assessed with validated instruments.ResultsOne-year retention was 71% (n = 12) in MBI; 81% (n = 13) in CBT. At 1-year, depression decreased (Cohen’s d = 0.68) and IR decreased (d = 0.73) in adolescents randomized to MBI compared to those in CBT. There were no significant between-condition differences in mindfulness, adiposity, or BMI.DiscussionOne-year outcomes from this randomized, controlled pilot trial suggest that brief MBI may reduce depression and IR in at-risk adolescents. Replication and exploration of mechanisms within the context of a larger clinical trial are necessary.Clinical Trial Registrationwww.ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier NCT02218138

Associations between dimensions of anorexia nervosa and obsessive–compulsive disorder: An examination of personality and psychological factors in patients with anorexia nervosa

Objective: Anorexia nervosa (AN) and obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) are highly comorbid. However, the factors that account for this comorbidity are poorly understood. We examined the core dimensions of AN and OCD and psychological and personality factors shared by both disorders. Method: In path analyses (N = 732 women with either current AN or recovered from AN), we examined which factors were uniquely and independently associated with the core dimensions of AN and OCD. We also examined recovery from AN as a moderator. Results: When individuals with AN reported greater concern over mistakes, they endorsed more severity in both AN and OCD core dimensions. These unique associations existed above and beyond all other transdiagnostic personality and psychological factors and regardless of AN recovery status. Conclusions: Concern over mistakes partially accounts for severity in the core dimensions of both AN and OCD. Concern over mistakes may represent an important target in the aetiology of AN and OCD

Examining the associations among perfectionism, obsessive-compulsiveness, body dissatisfaction, exercise dependence and disordered eating in college women

2015 Spring.Includes bibliographical references.Many U.S. women engage in some form of weight or shape management behaviors (WSMB) - including disordered eating or excessive exercise - in their lifetime. Disordered eating includes fasting, skipping meals, binge eating, purging/self-induced vomiting, and laxative or diuretic use (Neumark-Sztainer, Wall, Larson, Eisenberg, & Loth, 2011; Striegel-Moore, Silberstein, Frensch, & Rodin, 1989). Excessive exercise is defined as exercise characterized by greater amounts of time spent exercising and a sense of obligation to exercise. Exercise dependence occurs when the individual experiences psychological and/or physiological craving for physical activity (Hausenblas, & Symons Downs, 2002). Emerging adulthood, the period between 18 and 25 years of age, is a critical time for the onset or exacerbation of disordered eating and exercise dependence among women, especially women attending college (Compas, Wagner, Slavin, & Vannatta, 1986; Vohs, Heatherton, & Herrin, 2001). Many factors likely contribute to WSMB in young women, including sociocultural, family, peer and psychological factors. A major limitation of the literature on psychological factors associated with WSMB is that it has focused nearly exclusively on women of European-descent. Yet there are indications that WSMB may be a significant problem among women of Latina-descent. Building on past studies and considering the gaps in empirical knowledge, this study examined two psychological constructs potentially associated with WSMB in European- and Latina-descent college women. Specifically this study examined the associations between perfectionism and obsessive-compulsiveness and the WSMB of disordered eating and exercise dependence accounting for body dissatisfaction as a potential confounder of these associations. Five hundred two college women (87.5% European-descent, 12.5% Latina-descent) participated in the study. Multiple-group structural equation modeling examined whether the relations among latent constructs in the hypothesized model differed across ethnic groups. An unconstrained model, in which the paths were not constrained to be equal for the two ethnic groups, was a significantly better fit for the data. Perfectionism and obsessive- compulsiveness were positively associated with body dissatisfaction for European-descent women. However, only perfectionism was positively associated with body dissatisfaction for women of Latina-descent. Body dissatisfaction was not significantly associated, either positively or negatively, with disordered eating or exercise dependence for either ethnic group. For women of European-descent, perfectionism and obsessive-compulsiveness were positively associated with both disordered eating and exercise dependence. For Latina-descent women, obsessive- compulsiveness was positively associated with disordered eating and exercise dependence. The association between obsessive-compulsiveness and exercise dependence was moderated by ethnicity such that the association was more pronounced for Latina-descent women than for European-descent women. I conclude that while college women of European- and Latina-descent engage in similar rates of WSMB, the degree to which perfectionism and obsessive- compulsiveness may be associated with these behaviors may differ for the two groups. Longitudinal research is necessary to further investigate the issues raised in the present study