Association of eating attitude with anxiety and depression levels in children and adolescents with obsessive-compulsive disorder

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to determine eating attitude in children and adolescents with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and the relationship between eating attitudes and anxiety and depression levels. METHODS: The sample comprised 40 patients (mean age: 14.02 +/- 1.84 years), who met DSM-V criteria for OCD and age- and sex-matched 40 healthy controls (mean age: 14.15 +/- 2.05 years). The assessment consisted of the Maudsley Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory (MOCI), Eating Attitudes Test (EAT), Children's Depression Inventory, and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). The body mass index (BMI) was calculated as kilograms per metre squared. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of age, sex, and BMI (p > .05). Although the EAT score was higher in the patient group compared to the control group, there was no significant difference between the two groups. Of 40 children with OCD, 6 (15%) had a score above the EAT cut-off value of 30 suggesting a disordered eating attitude, whereas this rate was 0% in healthy controls. The anxiety and depression levels and obsessive-compulsive symptoms were significantly higher in the OCD patient group than in the control group (p < .001). EAT scores had a significant positive correlation with the depression scores and MOCI checking, cleaning, doubting, and total subscales' scores in OCD patients. Depression levels and obsessive-compulsive symptoms except MOCI slowness and rumination subscales predicted higher scores of EAT according to the linear regression analyses. CONCLUSIONS: The current study showed that depression levels and obsessive-compulsive symptoms including MOCI checking, cleaning, doubting, and total subscales were the predictors of eating attitude and behaviour in children and adolescents with OCD.