Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Adolescent development and eating disorder related quality of life in Indian females

  • Brief Report
  • Published:
Eating and Weight Disorders - Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To study the relationship of adolescent development and eating disorder related quality of life in Indian females. METHOD: 461 female school students (aged 12–17 yrs) were recruited from middle to high socio-economic status (SES), English speaking schools in Delhi, India. Adolescent development was measured by Tanner stage and months since menarche. Subjects completed the Quality of Life for Eating Disorders questionnaire (QOL ED), which included six subscores. Correlation and partial correlation coefficient analysis to control for Body Mass Index (BMI) were performed. RESULTS: After controlling for BMI, all adolescent development measures were correlated with the psychological feelings (PSY) subscore. This subscore contained items relating to confusion, social unease, sadness, difficulty coping, desiring perfection and loss of control. Tanner breast stage was correlated with the eating behaviour (EB) subscore. DISCUSSION: During adolescent development, Indian girls became more aware of their psychological feelings and emotions. Only those reporting breast development were using behaviours to control their body, weight and shape. These behaviours are not associated with the presence of disordered eating thoughts, such as preoccupation with food, eating, body weight or shape.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Graber JA, Brooks-Gunn J, Warren MP. The vulnerable transition: Puberty and the development of eating pathology and negative mood. Women Health Issues 1999; 9: 107–14.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. De Castro JM, Goldstein SJ. Eating attitudes and behaviours of pre- post-pubertal females: Clues to the etiology of eating disorders. Physiol Behav 1995; 58: 15–23.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Koff E, Rierdan J. Advanced pubertal development and eating disturbance in early adolescent girls. J Adolesc Health 1993; 14: 433–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Killen JD, Hayward C, Litt I, et al. Is puberty a risk factor for eating disorders? Am J Dis Child 1992; 146: 323–5.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Klump KL, McGue M, Iacono WG. Different heritability of eating attitudes and behaviours in prepubertal versus pubertal twins. Int J Eat Disord 2003; 33: 287–92.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Abraham S. Dieting, body weight, body image and self-esteem in young women: Doctor’s dilemmas. Med J Aust 2003; 178: 607–11.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Abraham S, Boyd C, Lal M, et al. Time since menarche, weight gain and body image awareness among adolescent girls: onset of eating disorders? J Psychosom Obstet Gynaecol 2009; 30: 89–94.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Chugh R, Puri S. Affluent adolescent girls in Delhi: eating and weight concerns. Br J Nutr 2001; 86: 535–42

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Abraham S, O’Dea JA. Body mass index, menarche and perception of dieting among pre and post pubertal adolescent females. Int J Eat Disord 2001; 29: 23–8.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Hediger ML, Scholl TO, Schall J I, et al. One-year changes in weight and fatness in girls during late adolescence. Pediatrics 1995; 96: 253–8.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. O’Dea JA, Abraham S. Onset of disordered eating attitudes and behaviours in early adolescence: Interplay of pubertal status, gender, weight and age. Adolescence 1999; 34: 671–9.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Graber J, Brooks-Gunn J, Paikoff R, et al. Prediction of eating problems: An eight-year study of adolescent girls. Dev Psychol 1994; 30: 823–34.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Richards MH, Petersen AC, Boxer AM, et al. Relation of body weight to body image in pubertal girls and boys from two communities. Dev Psychol 1990; 26: 313–21.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Attie I, Brooks-Gunn J. Development of eating problems in adolescent girls: A longitudinal study. Dev Psychol 1989; 25: 70–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Cotrufo P, Cella S, Cremato F, et al. Eating disorder attitude and abnormal eating behaviours in a sample of 11-13-year-old school children: the role of pubertal body transformation. Eat Weight Disord 2007; 12: 154–60.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Stice E, Shaw H. Role of body dissatisfaction in the onset and maintenance of eating pathology. J Psychosom Res 2002; 53: 985–93.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Lee S. Reconsidering the status of Anorexia Nervosa as a western culture-bound syndrome. Soc Sci Med 1996; 42: 21–34.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Gandhi DH, Appaya MP, Machado T. Anorexia Nervosa in Asian children (Comment). Br J Psychiatry 1991; 159: 591–2.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Rubin B, Gluck ME, Knoll CM, et al. Comparison of eating disorders and body image disturbances between eastern and western countries. Eat Weight Disord 2008; 13: 73–80.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Shroff H, Thompson JK. Body image and eating disturbance in India: Media and interpersonal influences 2003; 35: 198–203.

  21. American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th ed. Washington, DC, APA, 2000.

    Google Scholar 

  22. World Health Organization. The ICD-10 Classification of Mental and Behaviour Disorders. Clinical Descriptions and Diagnostic Guidelines. Geneva, WHO, 2007.

    Google Scholar 

  23. Simpson KJ. Anorexia nervosa and culture. J Psychiatr Mental Health Nurs 2002; 9: 65–71.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Khandelwal SK, Sharan P, Saxena S. Eating disorders: An Indian perspective. Int J Psychiatry 1995; 41: 132–46.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Khandelwal SK, Saxena S. Anorexia nervosa in people of Asian extraction. Br J Psychiatry 1990; 157: 784.

    Google Scholar 

  26. Tareen A, Hodes M, Rangel L. Non-fat-phobic anorexia nervosa in British South Asian adolescents. Int J Eat Disord 2005; 37: 161–5.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Engel SG, Adair CE, Hayas CL, et al. Health-related quality of life and eating disorders: A review and update. Int J Eat Disord 2009; 42: 179–87.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Abraham S. Eating disorders: The facts (6th ed). Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2008.

    Google Scholar 

  29. Brooks-Gunn J, Warren MP, Rosso J, et al. Validity of self-report measures of girls’ pubertal status. Child Dev 1987; 58: 829–41.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Castellino N, Bellone S, Rapa A, et al. Puberty onset in Northern Italy: A random sample of 3597 Italian children. J Endocrinol Invest 2008; 28: 589–94.

    Google Scholar 

  31. Tanner JM. Growth at adolescence (2nd ed). Oxford, Blackwell Scientific Publications, 1962.

    Google Scholar 

  32. Aggarwal DK, Aggarwal KN, Upadhyay SK, et al. Physical and sexual growth pattern of affluent Indian children from 5 to 18 years of age. Indian Pediatrics 1992; 29: 1203–82.

    Google Scholar 

  33. Ribeiro J, Santos P, Duarte J, et al. Association between overweight and early sexual maturation in Portuguese boys and girls. Ann Hum Biol 2006; 33. 55–63.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Abraham SF, Brown T, Boyd C, et al. Quality of life: Eating disorders. Aust NZ J Psychiatry 2006; 40: 150–5.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. Banerjee I, Chakraborty S, Bhattacharyya NG, et al. A cohort study of correlation between body mass index and age at menarche in healthy Bengali girls. J Indian Med Assoc 2007; 105: 75–8.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Acharya A, Reddaiah VP, Baridalyne N. Nutrional status and menarche in adolescent girls in an urban resettlement colony of south Delhi. Indian J Commun Med 2006; 31: 302–3.

    Google Scholar 

  37. Rhodes KV, Lauderdale DS, He T, et al. “Between me and the computer”: Increased detection of intimate partner violence using a computer questionnaire. Ann Emerg Med 2002; 40: 476–84.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Sydney, Royal North Shore Hospital, NSW, 2065, Australia

    M. Lal & S. Abraham

Authors
  1. M. Lal
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. S. Abraham
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to M. Lal.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Lal, M., Abraham, S. Adolescent development and eating disorder related quality of life in Indian females. Eat Weight Disord 16, e56–e60 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03327522

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03327522

Key words

Search

Navigation