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Copyright of International Journal of Eating Disorders is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Eating disorders have early origins, and there could be a continuum between childhood eating behaviors, such as overeating, and long-term disordered eating, but this remains to be shown. BMI, desire for thinness and peer victimization could influence this continuum, but their interactions are unknown. To fill this gap, the study used data from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development (N = 1511; 52% girls), in which 30.9% of youth presented a trajectory associated with high disordered eating from 12 to 20 years. The results support an indirect association between overeating at age 5 and disordered eating trajectories, with different mediation processes observed between boys and girls. The findings underscore the importance of promoting healthy body images and eating behaviors among youths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: As a result of the public health measures put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, many health services, including those for the treatment of eating disorders, were provided at a distance. This study aims to describe the adaptations made in specialized pediatric eating disorder programs in Canada and the impact of these adaptations on health professionals' experience of providing care. Methods: A mixed-methods design was used to survey healthcare professionals working in specialized pediatric eating disorder programs about adaptations to treatment made during the pandemic and the impact of these adaptations on their experience of providing care. Data were collected between October 2021 and March 2022 using a cross-sectional survey comprising 25 questions and via semi-structured interviews. Quantitative data were summarized using descriptive statistics and qualitative data were interpreted using qualitative content analysis. Results: Eighteen healthcare professionals in Canada completed the online survey, of whom six also participated in the semi-structured interviews. The cross-sectional survey confirmed that, unlike in pre-pandemic times, the majority of participants provided medical care (15/18) and mental health care (17/18) at a distance during the pandemic, with most participants using telephone (17/18) and videoconferencing (17/18). Most (16/18) health professionals indicated that virtual care would continue to be used as a tool in pediatric ED treatment after the pandemic. Participants used a combination of virtual and in-person care, with most reporting weighing patients both in clinic (16/18) and virtually (15/18). Qualitative content analysis generated five themes: (1) responding to increased demand with insufficient resources; (2) adapting to changes in care due to the COVID-19 pandemic; (3) dealing with uncertainty and apprehension; (4) virtual care as an acceptable and useful clinical tool, and (5) optimal conditions and future expectations. Most interview participants (5/6) had globally positive views of virtual care. Conclusions: Providing virtual multidisciplinary treatment for children and adolescents with eating disorders seemed feasible and acceptable to professionals during the pandemic. Moving forward, focusing on health professionals' perspectives and providing appropriate training in virtual interventions is essential given their central role in successful implementation and continued use of virtual and hybrid care models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]