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Nutrient intake in Spanish adolescents SCOFF high-scorers: the AVENA study

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Eating and Weight Disorders - Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

To evaluate whether adolescents with a positive score in a screening tool for possible eating disorders (ED) have a different diet intake in comparison with those with a negative score.

Methods

Cross-sectional study performed in 235 adolescents (37.9 % boys) from Zaragoza (Spain). Age, gender, BMI, maternal education, nutrient intake (7-day record) and screening tool for detecting ED [sick control on fat food test (SCOFF)] were assessed. ANCOVA test was used to determine nutrient intake differences (namely energy, macronutrients and micronutrients) according to the SCOFF total score (SCOFF ≥2 indicates a possible case of ED). ANCOVA test was adjusted by age, maternal education and BMI. This research was based on data from the cross-sectional multicenter Alimentación y Valoración del Estado Nutricional en Adolescentes españoles (Feeding and Assessment of Nutritional status of Spanish Adolescents) study.

Results

The proportion of adolescents with possible symptoms of ED was 21.7 %. Girls SCOFF high-scorers (SCOFF+) mean daily energy intake was significantly lower than in those SCOFF low-scorers (SCOFF−) (P < 0.001); however, in boys there was no difference. Both in girls and boys, there were no statistically significant differences according to SCOFF questionnaire for macronutrient intake, adjusted by daily energy intake. Concerning micronutrients, in girls with SCOFF+ sodium, potassium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, vitamin B2 and niacin intakes were significantly lower than in those with SCOFF−; however, in boys, there were no differences.

Conclusions

Adolescent girls with current possible symptoms of ED presented lower total energy intake and several micronutrients intake compared with their peers without ED.

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Acknowledgments

The AVENA study was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Health (FIS 00/0015).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. GENUD (Growth, Exercise, Nutrition and Development) Research Group, University of Zaragoza, 12 Pedro Cerbuna rd, 50009, Zaragoza, Spain

    Sara Estecha Querol, Juan Miguel Fernández Alvira, María Isabel Mesana Graffe & Luis Alberto Moreno Aznar

  2. Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares Carlos III, 3 Melchor Fernández Almagro rd, 28029, Madrid, Spain

    Juan Miguel Fernández Alvira

  3. Immunonutrition Research Group, Institute of Food Science, Technology and Nutrition (ICTAN)-CSIC, 10 José Antonio Novais rd, 28040, Madrid, Spain

    Esther Nova Rebato & Ascensión Marcos Sánchez

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  1. Sara Estecha Querol
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  2. Juan Miguel Fernández Alvira
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  3. María Isabel Mesana Graffe
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  6. Luis Alberto Moreno Aznar
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Correspondence to Sara Estecha Querol.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Estecha Querol, S., Fernández Alvira, J.M., Mesana Graffe, M.I. et al. Nutrient intake in Spanish adolescents SCOFF high-scorers: the AVENA study. Eat Weight Disord 21, 589–596 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-016-0282-8

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