Disordered eating profiles and associations with student sociodemographic characteristics: a latent class analysis among adolescents in Canada.

INTRODUCTION

Despite its importance to health and well-being, evidence on disordered eating (DE) patterns among Canadian adolescents remains limited. This study aimed to (1) identify latent DE classes among adolescents in Canada; and (2) investigate whether students' sociodemographic characteristics predict DE class membership.

METHODS

Student-level survey data were obtained from the 2021-2022 COMPASS study. The sample included 24 639 students in grades 9 to 12 from 69 secondary schools in Alberta, British Columbia, and Ontario. Latent class analysis was applied to explore DE profiles based on six items assessing weight concern, restrictive or binge eating, purging, and compensatory behaviours. Logistic regression was conducted to examine associations between DE class membership and sociodemographic characteristics (grade, gender, race and ethnicity, family affluence, and weight status).

RESULTS

Five distinct DE classes were identified: no-to-mild DE (32.5%), changed eating with weight concern (30.7%), binge eating with weight concern (25.7%), binge eating without weight concern (7.3%), and complex DE (3.7%). Cisgender girls, transgender and gender-diverse youth, adolescents from less affluent households, and those with very high weight were at greater risk of belonging to classes with higher symptom engagement compared to the no-to-mild DE class and cisgender boys, more affluent peers, and those with healthy weight, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Findings indicate that Canadian adolescents exhibit heterogeneous DE patterns, with pronounced disparities by gender, family affluence, and weight status. Recognizing equity-related disparities in DE patterns highlights the importance of future longitudinal research to examine developmental trajectories of DE, and to inform tailored prevention and early intervention strategies that address the needs of diverse adolescent populations.