Driven exercise among treatment-seeking youth with eating disorders

PurposeThis study evaluated the prevalence and clinical significance of driven exercise (DE) in treatment-seeking youth.MethodsParticipants were 380 consecutive referrals to a pediatric eating disorder program (90.8% female; M age = 14.9 ± 2.2). Spearman's rho correlations examined the relation between DE frequency, and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Eating Disorders Examination (EDE) Global Severity scores. ANOVA compared those reporting only DE, only vomiting, or both DE and vomiting on the aforementioned measures.Results51.3% of participants (n = 193) reported DE in the past 3 months, with an average of 21.8 (SD = 32.6) episodes. Frequency of DE was related to EDE global severity score (Spearman's rho = .46; p < .001) and BDI Total Score (Spearman's rho = .33; p < .001). Participants reporting both vomiting and DE had the highest EDE global severity and BDI total scores.ConclusionsDE is associated with greater eating disorder and depressive symptomatology, especially when paired with vomiting. The findings highlight the importance of assessing for DE in youth presenting for eating disorder treatment.

► Driven exercise in about half of children and adolescents presenting for treatment.
► Driven exercise associated with greater eating disorder and depressive symptoms.
► Driven exercise most severe when paired with self-induced vomiting.
► Important to assess for driven exercise in youth with eating disorders.