Genetic Epidemiology, Translational Neurogenomics, Psychiatric Genetics and Statistical Genetics Laboratories investigate the pattern of disease in families, particularly identical and non-identical twins, to assess the relative importance of genes and environment in a variety of important health problems.
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PMID
9034476
TITLE
Assessing the prevalence of eating disorders in an Australian twin population.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE NlmCategory: OBJECTIVE
This paper examines the prevalence of disordered eating in a female Australian twin population aged between 28 and 90 years in 1993.
METHOD NlmCategory: METHODS
In two waves of data collection, the eating behaviour of 3869 female twins was first assessed in 1988-1989 by self-report questionnaire and then in 1992-1993 with a telephone interview, using the Semi-Structured Assessment for the Genetics of Alcoholism interview.
RESULTS NlmCategory: RESULTS
It was found that about 0.4% of the women have a lifetime prevalence of anorexia nervosa and 1.8% of the group have suffered from bulimia nervosa. The incidence of bulimia nervosa but not anorexia nervosa was markedly higher for those women under 45 (2.3% bulimia nervosa) than for those women 45 years or older. Furthermore, one in three women have at some stage in their life used some extreme method of weight control.
CONCLUSIONS NlmCategory: CONCLUSIONS
The levels of bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa found are commensurate with those found in smaller studies in Australia and other parts of the world. The finding of widespread use of extreme weight control methods is of concern as this behaviour is a well-recognised precursor to more serious eating disorders.
DATE PUBLISHED
1996 Dec
HISTORY
PUBSTATUS PUBSTATUSDATE
pubmed 1996/12/01
medline 1996/12/01 00:01
entrez 1996/12/01 00:00
AUTHORS
NAME COLLECTIVENAME LASTNAME FORENAME INITIALS AFFILIATION AFFILIATIONINFO
Wade T Wade T T School of Psychology, Flinders University of South Australia, Bedford Park, Australia.
Heath AC Heath A C AC
Abraham S Abraham S S
Treloar SA Treloar S A SA
Martin NG Martin N G NG
Tiggemann M Tiggemann M M
INVESTIGATORS
JOURNAL
VOLUME: 30
ISSUE: 6
TITLE: The Australian and New Zealand journal of psychiatry
ISOABBREVIATION: Aust N Z J Psychiatry
YEAR: 1996
MONTH: Dec
DAY:
MEDLINEDATE:
SEASON:
CITEDMEDIUM: Print
ISSN: 0004-8674
ISSNTYPE: Print
MEDLINE JOURNAL
MEDLINETA: Aust N Z J Psychiatry
COUNTRY: England
ISSNLINKING: 0004-8674
NLMUNIQUEID: 0111052
PUBLICATION TYPE
PUBLICATIONTYPE TEXT
Journal Article
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
COMMENTS AND CORRECTIONS
GRANTS
GRANTID AGENCY COUNTRY
AA 07535 NIAAA NIH HHS United States
GENERAL NOTE
KEYWORDS
MESH HEADINGS
DESCRIPTORNAME QUALIFIERNAME
Adult
Age Factors
Aged
Anorexia Nervosa epidemiology
Australia epidemiology
Body Weight epidemiology
Bulimia epidemiology
Female epidemiology
Follow-Up Studies epidemiology
Humans epidemiology
Incidence epidemiology
Middle Aged epidemiology
Prevalence epidemiology
Questionnaires epidemiology
Retrospective Studies epidemiology
SUPPLEMENTARY MESH
GENE SYMBOLS
CHEMICALS
OTHER ID's