Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31894540›Full record

SynthesisEating and weight disorders : EWD2021

A comparative meta-analysis of the prevalence of exercise addiction in adults with and without indicated eating disorders.

Mike Trott, Sarah E Jackson, Joseph Firth, Louis Jacob, Igor Grabovac, Amit Mistry, Brendon Stubbs, Lee Smith

Open access · greenAbstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Eating and weight disorders : EWD, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 36 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
36citing papers in PubMed, 5 pooled it
5.7field-weighted citation impact, top 3% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

36 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 89 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. The Prevalence of Excessive Exercise in Eating Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.European eating disorders review : the journal of the Eating Disorders Association · 2025
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  11. Medial nucleus accumbens dopamine receptors modulate motivation for wheel running in male mice.Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 7 institutions in 4 countries.

Mike TrottCambridge Centre for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Anglia Ruskin University, Compass House, Cambridge, CB1 1PT, UK. mike.trott@pgr.anglia.ac.uk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5978-3407
Sarah E JacksonDepartment of Behavioural Science and Health, University College London, London, WC1E 7HB, UK.
Joseph FirthDivision of Psychology and Mental Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
Louis JacobFaculty of Medicine, University of Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, Montigny-le-Bretonneux, 78180, France.
Igor GrabovacDepartment of Social and Preventive Medicine, Centre for Public Health, Medical University of Vienna, Kinderspitalgasse 15/1, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
Amit MistryEating Disorders Service, Barnet, Enfield & Haringey Mental Health Trust, Cambridge, UK.
Brendon StubbsPositive Ageing Research Institute (PARI), Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK.
Lee SmithCambridge Centre for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Anglia Ruskin University, Compass House, Cambridge, CB1 1PT, UK.
Anglia Ruskin University · GBBarnet Enfield and Haringey Mental Health Trust · GBKing's College London · GBMedical University of Vienna · ATThe University of Melbourne · AUUniversité de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines · FRUniversity College London · GB

Funding

Department of Health ICA-CL-2017-03-001
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundExercise addiction is associated with multiple adverse outcomes and can be classified as co-occurring with an eating disorder, or a primary condition with no indication of eating disorders. We conducted a meta-analysis exploring the prevalence of exercise addiction in adults with and without indicated eating disorders.

methodsA systematic review of major databases and grey literature was undertaken from inception to 30/04/2019. Studies reporting prevalence of exercise addiction with and without indicated eating disorders in adults were identified. A random effect meta-analysis was undertaken, calculating odds ratios for exercise addiction with versus without indicated eating disorders.

resultsNine studies with a total sample of 2140 participants (mean age = 25.06; 70.6% female) were included. Within these, 1732 participants did not show indicated eating disorders (mean age = 26.4; 63.0% female) and 408 had indicated eating disorders (mean age = 23.46; 79.2% female). The odds ratio for exercise addiction in populations with versus without indicated eating disorders was 3.71 (95% CI 2.00-6.89; I DISCUSSION: Exercise addiction occurs more than three and a half times as often as a comorbidity to an eating disorder than in people without an indicated eating disorder. The creation of a measurement tool able to identify exercise addiction risk in both populations would benefit researchers and practitioners by easily classifying samples.

Indexed as

Feeding and Eating DisordersAdultComorbidityFemaleHumansMalePrevalenceYoung AdultAddictionDisordered eatingEating disordersExercise addictionExercise dependencePathological exercise

Identifiers

PMID31894540
OpenAlexW2997521900

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.