Impact of female adult eating disorder inpatients' attitudes to compulsive exercise on outcome at discharge and follow-up

Abstract

Background: The link between compulsive exercise and eating disorders is well known, but research with clinical samples has been limited. The purpose of the study was to investigate changes in attitudes towards compulsive exercise and its impact on outcome at follow-up in female adult hospitalised patients with eating disorders. Methods: The sample consisted of 78 patients: Diagnostic distribution: anorexia nervosa 59% (n=46), approximately 22% (n=16) in bulimia nervosa, and Eating Disorder not Otherwise Specified respectively. The average follow-up period was 26months (SD =15months). Compulsive exercise was measured by the Exercise and Eating Disorder (EED) questionnaire. Other measures were the Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI-2), Body Attitude Test (BAT), Symptom Checklist (SCL-90), Inventory of Interpersonal Problems (IIP 64), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and body mass index (BMI). Outcome measures were EDI-2 and BMI (patients with admission BMI≤18.5). Paired sample t-tests and mixed model regression analysis were conducted to investigate changes in compulsive exercise and predictors of outcome respectively. Results: All measures revealed significant improvements (p