ArticleThe International journal of eating disorders2026
General and Symptom-Specific Illness Duration and Course as Predictors of Symptom Severity in Anorexia Nervosa.
Article in The International journal of eating disorders, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
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.
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.
Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- A neurodevelopmental model of eating disorder risk in midlife to older adulthood.Neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews · 2026Review
- The association between childhood traumatic events and weight restoration in adult anorexia nervosa inpatient treatment: a longitudinal study.Eating and weight disorders : EWD · 2026Article
- General and Symptom-Specific Illness Duration and Course as Predictors of Symptom Severity in Anorexia Nervosa.The International journal of eating disorders · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
Abstract
objectiveIllness duration has been examined as a predictor of anorexia nervosa (AN) outcomes to mixed results, yet is frequently used to make treatment and prognosis decisions. More specific metrics, such as prior illness course (e.g., continuous vs. intermittent symptoms) and symptom-specific duration or course, may more effectively predict concurrent and longitudinal outcomes.
methodAdults with acute or weight-restored AN (N = 75) completed a measure assessing duration and course (e.g., continuous, intermittent) of their eating disorder in general and of specific symptoms (low weight, restrictive eating, weight/shape preoccupation). Hierarchical linear regressions predicted the severity of each symptom (BMI, restrictive eating, shape concern, weight concern) at baseline and one-year follow-up from covariates (Step 1), general illness duration and course (Step 2), and symptom-specific duration and course (Step 3).
resultsCross-sectionally, symptom-specific predictors improved model fit for all outcomes (ps = < 0.001-0.043). A more continuous course of restrictive eating was associated with more frequent baseline restrictive eating (p = 0.002) and longer duration (p = 0.009) and a more continuous course (p < 0.001) of weight/shape preoccupation was associated with higher baseline shape concern. General illness duration and course did not predict symptom severity after accounting for symptom-specific factors. Longitudinally, no measure of illness or symptom duration or course predicted follow-up symptom severity.
conclusionsCourses of specific symptoms may be more meaningful symptom severity markers in AN than general illness duration or course, particularly for restriction and shape concern. Findings highlight the clinical utility of assessing symptom-specific chronicity and of interrupting eating disorder symptoms in treatment, given the impact of continuous symptom expression.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.