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Associations between eating disorder diagnoses, behaviors, and menstrual dysfunction in a clinical sample

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Abstract

We explored associations between lifetime eating disorder (ED) diagnoses and behaviors and menstrual dysfunction using logistic regression models. Body mass index (BMI) fully explained differences in the odds of secondary amenorrhea (SA) across diagnoses. Women with dieting behaviors had borderline significantly higher odds of SA than those without after accounting for BMI. We suggest the presence of a strong association between BMI and SA and that dieting might represent a risk factor for SA regardless of BMI and ED diagnosis.

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Acknowledgments

Financial support was received from the European Union (Framework-V Multicenter Research Grant, QCK1-1999- 916). CIBERobn is an initiative of ISCIII.

We would like to thank Dr. Marija Anderluh for providing data from Slovenia.

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Correspondence to Maria Giulia Martini.

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Martini, M.G., Solmi, F., Krug, I. et al. Associations between eating disorder diagnoses, behaviors, and menstrual dysfunction in a clinical sample. Arch Womens Ment Health 19, 553–557 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-015-0576-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-015-0576-2

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