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Cognition and the risk of eating disorders in Spanish adolescents: the AVENA and AFINOS studies

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Abstract

Eating disorders (ED) can arise from a combination of biological and psychological factors. Some studies suggest that intellectual factors might be important in the development of ED, although the evidence is still scarce. The aim of this study was to examine the association between cognition measurements (cognitive performance and academic achievement) and the risk of developing ED in adolescents considering their weight status. The sample consisted of 3,307 adolescents (1,756 girls), aged 13–18.5 years, who participated in the AVENA (n = 1,430; 783 girls) and AFINOS (n = 1,877; 973 girls) studies. Cognitive performance was measured by the TEA test in the AVENA study, and academic achievement was self-reported in the AFINOS study. ED risk was evaluated in both studies by using the SCOFF questionnaire. Body mass index was calculated to classify adolescents as non-overweight or overweight (including obesity). Overweight adolescents showed a higher risk of developing ED than non-overweight ones in both studies. In the AVENA study, overweight boys with low performance in reasoning ability showed increased risk of ED (p = 0.05). In the AFINOS study, overweight boys with low academic performance in physical education and non-overweight girls with low academic achievement in all the areas analyzed showed higher risk of ED than their peers (all p < 0.05). Conclusion: No association between cognitive performance and ED risk was found in adolescents, while academic achievement was associated with ED risk, especially in non-overweight girls. The non-cognitive traits that accompany academic achievement could influence the likelihood of developing ED in these girls.

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Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge the adolescents and their parents who participated in this study. The AVENA Study was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Health, FIS (00/0015) and grants from Panrico S.A., Madaus S.A. and Procter & Gamble S.A. The AFINOS Study was supported by grant DEP2006-56184-C03-01-02-03/PREV from the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science and co-funded by FEDER funds from European Union.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Immunonutrition Research Group, Department of Metabolism and Nutrition, Institute of Food Science and Technology and Nutrition, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Madrid, Spain

    A. M. Veses, S. Gómez-Martínez & A. Marcos

  2. Department of Animal Physiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain

    F. Pérez de Heredia

  3. School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK

    F. Pérez de Heredia

  4. Department of Physical Education, Sport and Human Movement, Faculty of Education and Teaching Training, Autonomous University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain

    I. Esteban-Cornejo & O. L. Veiga

  5. Department of Medical Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Granada, Granada, Spain

    R. Castillo

  6. Growth, Exercise, Nutrition and Development (GENUD) Research Group, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain

    S. Estecha

  7. Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Santander, Santander, Spain

    M. García-Fuentes

  8. Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health and History of Science, Faculty of Medicine, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain

    M. E. Calle

Authors
  1. A. M. Veses
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  2. S. Gómez-Martínez
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  3. F. Pérez de Heredia
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  4. I. Esteban-Cornejo
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  5. R. Castillo
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  6. S. Estecha
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  7. M. García-Fuentes
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  8. O. L. Veiga
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  9. M. E. Calle
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  10. A. Marcos
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to A. M. Veses.

Additional information

Communicated by Peter de Winter

Appendices

Appendices

Appendix A. AVENA Study Group

Coordinator: A Marcos, Madrid.

Main investigators: MJ Castillo, Granada. A Marcos, Madrid. S Zamora, Murcia. M García Fuentes, Santander. M Bueno, Zaragoza, Spain.

Granada: MJ Castillo, MD Cano, R Sola (Biochemistry); A Gutiérrez, JL Mesa, J Ruiz (Physical Fitness); M Delgado, P Tercedor, P Chillón (Physical Activity), FB Ortega, M Martín, F Carreño, GV Rodríguez, R Castillo, F Arellano (Collaborators). Universidad de Granada. E-18071 Granada. Madrid: A Marcos, M González-Gross, J Wärnberg, S Medina, F Sánchez Muniz, E Nova, A Montero, B de la Rosa, S Gómez-Martínez, S Samartín, J Romeo, R Álvarez, (Coordination, Immunology) A Álvarez (Cytometric Analysis) L Barrios (Statistical Analysis) A Leyva, B Payá (Psychological Assessment). L Martínez, E Ramos, R Ortiz, A Urzanqui. (Collaborators). Instituto de Nutrición y Bromatología. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC). E-28040 Madrid. Murcia: S Zamora, M Garaulet, F Pérez-Llamas, JC Baraza, JF Marín, F Pérez de Heredia, MA Fernández, C González, R García, C Torralba, E Donat, E Morales, MD García, JA Martínez, JJ Hernández, A Asensio, FJ Plaza, MJ López (Diet Analysis). Dpto. Fisiología. Universidad de Murcia. E-30100 Murcia. Santander: M García Fuentes, D González-Lamuño, P de Rufino, R Pérez-Prieto, D Fernández, T Amigo (Genetic study). Dpto. Pediatría. Universidad de Cantabria. E- 19003 Santander . Zaragoza: M Bueno, LA Moreno, A Sarriá, J Fleta, G Rodríguez, CM Gil, MI Mesana, JA Casajús, V Blay, MG Blay. (Anthropometric Assessment). Escuela Universitaria de Ciencias de la Salud. Universidad de Zaragoza. E-50009 Zaragoza.

Appendix B. AFINOS Study Group

Coordinator: Marcos A

Main Investigators: Calle ME, Villagra A, Marcos A.

Sub-study 1: Calle ME, Regidor E, Martínez-Hernández D, Esteban-Gonzalo L. Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, E- 28040, Madrid, Spain. Sub-study 2: Villagra A, Veiga OL, del-Campo J, Moya JM, Martínez-Gómez D, Zapatera B. Department of Physical Education, Sport and Human Movement, Facultad de Formación del Profesorado y Educación, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, E-28049, Madrid, Spain. Sub-study 3: Marcos A, Gómez-Martínez S, Nova E, Wärnberg J, Romeo J, Diaz LE, Pozo T, Puertollano MA, Martínez-Gómez D, Zapatera B, Veses A. Immunonutrition Research Group, Department of Metabolism and Nutrition, Institute of Food Science, Technology and Nutrition (ICTAN), Instituto del Frio, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), E-28040, Madrid, Spain.

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Veses, A.M., Gómez-Martínez, S., de Heredia, F.P. et al. Cognition and the risk of eating disorders in Spanish adolescents: the AVENA and AFINOS studies. Eur J Pediatr 174, 229–236 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-014-2386-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-014-2386-3

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