Study: Children of parents without higher education 80% more likely to have eating disorders

The ALSPAC study began in the early 1990s in Avon, England. Participants were children who had survived to one year and had complete data on key indicators. Scientists followed them for almost two decades, recording changes in their condition at ages 14, 16 and 18.

The analysis took into account the family income level, parents’ profession and education, financial difficulties (on a scale from 0 to 15 points, where a high score meant a more pronounced lack of funds), as well as social deprivation at the place of residence. Eating disorder symptoms were determined through questionnaires and included dissatisfaction with the body, anxiety about weight and shape, as well as behavioral manifestations - overeating, restrictive eating (deliberately reducing food intake) and purging behavior.

The study authors also separately controlled for other possible factors. For example, higher levels of parental education may lead to higher income later in life. In addition, if the mother had an eating disorder as a teenager, this may have affected her education and the family’s subsequent social status. The researchers also took into account ethnicity, since children from minorities often face additional barriers to receiving assistance.

The results showed that adolescents from families with financial problems were significantly more likely to have negative attitudes towards their own bodies and anxiety related to their appearance. Even a slight deterioration in financial situation was associated with an increase in eating disorders: with each additional point on the financial difficulties scale, the risk of eating disorders increased by an average of 6%. At the same time, a small but steady increase in certain symptoms was recorded: dissatisfaction with the body (+0.22%) and concern about weight and figure (+0.02%).

The prevalence of problems increased with age. At 14, signs of eating disorders were recorded in 7.9% of teenagers, at 16 – in 15.9%, by 18 – in 18.9%.

The study also found differences between clinical statistics and self-reports by adolescents. Clinics more often record diagnoses in wealthier patients, while symptoms remain undiagnosed among those with less wealth. The authors noted that children from poor families are less likely to seek medical attention, and specialists may underestimate the manifestations of eating disorders in patients with a high body mass index, which is more common in socially vulnerable groups.

According to the World Health Organization, the problem is global: every seventh teenager in the world faces mental disorders, and a significant portion of such conditions, including eating disorders, manifests itself before the age of 18. The picture is complemented by global nutrition statistics: according to the forecast of researchers from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, by 2050, 746 million children and adolescents will suffer from overweight or obesity, and together with adults - 3.8 billion people, which will amount to 60% of the entire population of the planet.