Primal Health Databank: Study
| Entry No: | 0687 |
| Title: | Prenatal hormone exposure and risk for eating disorders: a comparison of opposite-sex and same-sex twins |
| Author(s): | Culbert KM, Breedlove SM, Burt SA, Klump KL |
| Reference: | Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2008 Mar;65(3):329-36 |
| Place of Study: | USA |
| Abstract: | The objective of this study was to examine whether in utero testosterone exposure has masculinizing effects on disordered eating (DE) by comparing opposite-sex (OS) and same-sex (SS) twins. Twin type (SS vs OS) is considered a proxy measure of prenatal hormone exposure, since females from OS pairs are exposed to more testosterone in utero than females from SS pairs. A linear trend in mean levels of DE was predicted based on expected prenatal testosterone exposure, with SS female twins exhibiting the highest levels of DE followed by OS female twins, OS male twins, and SS male twins. Participants included 304 SS female twins, 59 OS female twins, 54 OS male twins, and 165 SS male twins. Overall levels of DE were assessed with the Minnesota Eating Behavior Survey. Confirming hypotheses, DE exhibited significant linear trends, with SS female twins exhibiting the highest levels of DE followed by OS female twins, OS male twins, and SS male twins. This linear trend could not be accounted for by levels of anxiety or socialization effects. Indeed, OS female twins exhibited lower levels of DE compared with an independent sample of undergraduate women (n = 69) who were raised with 1 or more brothers. CONCLUSIONS: The masculinization of DE in OS female twins is unlikely to be due to socialization effects alone. Biological factors, such as the masculinization of the central nervous system by prenatal testosterone exposure, may also contribute to sex differences in DE prevalence.
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| Keyword(s): | Anorexia nervosa, Eating disorders, twins |
| Discussion: | No discussion mentioned for this entry |
| See Also: | No related entries mentioned for this entry |
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