Perinatal risk factors and disordered eating in children and adolescents
Abstract Objective Studies have reported associations between perinatal factors (obstetric and neonatal factors) and later eating disorder risk. However, previous findings have been partly conflicting. Here, we analyzed associations between perinatal factors and disordered eating in a large cohort o...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Springer
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Eating and Weight Disorders |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-025-01751-2 |
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| author | Monica Ålgars Laura Räisänen Sohvi Lommi Saila Koivusalo Heli Viljakainen |
| author_facet | Monica Ålgars Laura Räisänen Sohvi Lommi Saila Koivusalo Heli Viljakainen |
| author_sort | Monica Ålgars |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Objective Studies have reported associations between perinatal factors (obstetric and neonatal factors) and later eating disorder risk. However, previous findings have been partly conflicting. Here, we analyzed associations between perinatal factors and disordered eating in a large cohort of Finnish children and adolescents. Method The participants were 8- to 14-year-old children and adolescents (N = 11,357) from The Finnish Health in Teens study. Disordered eating was assessed using the Children’s Eating Attitudes Test (ChEAT). Perinatal data were obtained from the Finnish Birth Registry. Perinatal variables were initially analyzed using Chi-square analyses and linear regressions. Variables associated with disordered eating (p < .10) were entered into a multinomial logistic regression model. The regression analysis was conducted both including and excluding maternal BMI, as this information was missing for > 80% of the participants. Results Of the participants, 56.6% reported disordered eating (ChEAT score ≥ 11) or partial disordered eating (1–10) symptoms. Including maternal BMI in the analyses (n = 1921), higher levels of disordered eating were independently associated with maternal pre-pregnancy BMI (OR 1.07, 95% CI [1.02, 1.12]), maternal smoking during pregnancy (OR 2.64, 95% CI [1.49, 4.68]), urgent or emergency cesarean birth (OR 2.16, 95% CI [1.10, 4.05]). Assisted reproduction was associated with lower levels of disordered eating (OR 0.39, 95% CI [0.20, 0.76]). Discussion The results suggest that pregnancy and childbirth are vulnerable developmental periods, associated with later eating pathology. Further studies disentangling genetic and environmental mechanisms of associations between perinatal factors and later eating pathology are needed. Level of evidence Level III, Evidence obtained from well-designed cohort or case–control analytic studies. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d00cc299afcd4df4bb8ea54a47431ce4 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1590-1262 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Springer |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Eating and Weight Disorders |
| spelling | doaj-art-d00cc299afcd4df4bb8ea54a47431ce42025-08-20T03:52:24ZengSpringerEating and Weight Disorders1590-12622025-05-013011610.1007/s40519-025-01751-2Perinatal risk factors and disordered eating in children and adolescentsMonica Ålgars0Laura Räisänen1Sohvi Lommi2Saila Koivusalo3Heli Viljakainen4Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, University of HelsinkiFaculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere UniversityFolkhälsan Research CenterDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, HUS Helsinki University HospitalFolkhälsan Research CenterAbstract Objective Studies have reported associations between perinatal factors (obstetric and neonatal factors) and later eating disorder risk. However, previous findings have been partly conflicting. Here, we analyzed associations between perinatal factors and disordered eating in a large cohort of Finnish children and adolescents. Method The participants were 8- to 14-year-old children and adolescents (N = 11,357) from The Finnish Health in Teens study. Disordered eating was assessed using the Children’s Eating Attitudes Test (ChEAT). Perinatal data were obtained from the Finnish Birth Registry. Perinatal variables were initially analyzed using Chi-square analyses and linear regressions. Variables associated with disordered eating (p < .10) were entered into a multinomial logistic regression model. The regression analysis was conducted both including and excluding maternal BMI, as this information was missing for > 80% of the participants. Results Of the participants, 56.6% reported disordered eating (ChEAT score ≥ 11) or partial disordered eating (1–10) symptoms. Including maternal BMI in the analyses (n = 1921), higher levels of disordered eating were independently associated with maternal pre-pregnancy BMI (OR 1.07, 95% CI [1.02, 1.12]), maternal smoking during pregnancy (OR 2.64, 95% CI [1.49, 4.68]), urgent or emergency cesarean birth (OR 2.16, 95% CI [1.10, 4.05]). Assisted reproduction was associated with lower levels of disordered eating (OR 0.39, 95% CI [0.20, 0.76]). Discussion The results suggest that pregnancy and childbirth are vulnerable developmental periods, associated with later eating pathology. Further studies disentangling genetic and environmental mechanisms of associations between perinatal factors and later eating pathology are needed. Level of evidence Level III, Evidence obtained from well-designed cohort or case–control analytic studies.https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-025-01751-2Disordered eatingEating disordersPerinatal factorsPregnancyChildbirth |
| spellingShingle | Monica Ålgars Laura Räisänen Sohvi Lommi Saila Koivusalo Heli Viljakainen Perinatal risk factors and disordered eating in children and adolescents Eating and Weight Disorders Disordered eating Eating disorders Perinatal factors Pregnancy Childbirth |
| title | Perinatal risk factors and disordered eating in children and adolescents |
| title_full | Perinatal risk factors and disordered eating in children and adolescents |
| title_fullStr | Perinatal risk factors and disordered eating in children and adolescents |
| title_full_unstemmed | Perinatal risk factors and disordered eating in children and adolescents |
| title_short | Perinatal risk factors and disordered eating in children and adolescents |
| title_sort | perinatal risk factors and disordered eating in children and adolescents |
| topic | Disordered eating Eating disorders Perinatal factors Pregnancy Childbirth |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-025-01751-2 |
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