Secular trends in the problems of eating behavior in adolescent girls of the non-clinical population: comparison of the results of the survey 2009–2011 and 2021/2023

A cohort comparative study of the eating behavior characteristics and related factors was conducted in 618 schoolgirls aged 12–18 years from Ryazan. The survey was conducted in 2009–2011 and in 2021/2023 years. Comparison groups were formed from the 2009–2011 and 2021/2023 cohorts based on the principle of paired matching by age in months. The final sample consisted of 326 girls aged 12 to 17.3 years (M = 14.74 ± 1.36), 163 girls in each cohort with a maximally equalized age composition. The Russian-language version of EAT-26, the author's questionnaire “Risk factors for eating disorders”, and self-esteem measurement using the Dembo–Rubinstein method were used. Height, weight, waist and hip measurements, and time of menarche were also recorded. The incidence of eating disorder risk according to the EAT-26 test cutoff criterion for girls aged 12–14 increased from 7.9% to 14.9% (p < 0.1) a decade later, while for girls aged 15–17 it decreased from 17.3% to 12%, but the differences obtained did not reach the significance level. When comparing physical characteristics, eating behavior, and risk factors of eating disorder among different cohorts, significant differences were obtained in many parameters, mainly in the younger age subgroup (12–14 years).

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