Influence of Stress in the Onset of Eating Disorders: Data From a Two-Stage Epidemiologic Controlled Study

Background We explore the role of stress in the onset of eating disorders (EDs) in a community sample of adolescents, the mediating role of psychiatric comorbidity and the quantitative evolution of stress in the year preceding the onset of an ED. Methods The Life Events and Difficulties Schedule interview was applied to a sample with 32 cases and 32 controls selected from a two-phase epidemiologic study among a representative population of adolescents, followed by a decay model to assess acute and chronic stress in the year preceding the onset of ED. Psychiatric comorbidity was assessed using the SCAN interview. Results Cases (46.9%) and 9.4% of controls were found to have associated psychi…