Extracting body image symptom dimensions among eating disorder patients: the Profile Analysis via Multidimensional Scaling (PAMS) approach

Many Facets of Eating Disorders: Profiling Key Psychological Features of Anorexia Nervosa and Binge Eating Disorder

Objective. The present study employs a profile analysis to identify and compare psychological features and core eating disorder (ED) symptoms in clinical samples of patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) and binge eating disorder (BED) and the general population (GP). Methods. A sample comprising 421 participants (142 patients with AN; 139 patients with BED; and 140 participants from the GP) was surveyed with the Eating Disorder Inventory-3 (EDI-3). Individuals with AN and BED were recruited and tested during their first week of a multidisciplinary inpatient program for weight loss and rehabilitation at the 'Rete DCA USL Umbria 1' (Eating Disorders Services), Italy. Results. The findings suggest distinct patterns of symptom presentation between the three samples across all the EDI-3 dimensions-with both the AN and BED groups scoring significantly higher than the GP. Patients with AN registered greater scores in all the psychological trait scales and the drive for thinness ED-specific dimension of the EDI-3 compared with their BED counterpart-which, instead, scored higher in the bulimia and body dissatisfaction subscales. These data support the transdiagnostic nature of the main risk factors for the onset and maintenance of EDs-which would vary in severity levels-and the existence of disease-specific pathways giving rise to AN and BED. Conclusion. This study for the first time compares patients with AN and BED with a non-clinical sample on main ED psychological features. This might inform classification approaches and could have important implications for the development of prevention and early intervention programs.

Profile analysis of treatment effect changes in eating disorder indicators

We investigated differential treatment effects on specific eating disorder (ED) indicators to enhance conclusions about treatment efficacy. Profile Analysis via Multidimensional Scaling, which identifies core profiles in a population and interprets person profiles with core profile information, was utilized to identify core profiles from a sample of 5,177 patients who were repeatedly measured with the ED inventory-2 at admission and at discharge. To assess differential treatment effects for individual ED indicators, we compared the core profiles at admission with those at discharge. Three core profiles were identified and labeled as High Body Dissatisfaction with Low Bulimia (Core Profile 1), High Interoceptive Awareness with Low Body Dissatisfaction (Core Profile 2), and High Ineffectiveness with Low Bulimia (Core Profile 3). Treatment had the greatest effects on Core Profile 2. The patients whose profile patterns were similar to that of Core Profiles 1 and 2 were positively related with weight gain. However, treatment was least on Core Profile 3, and the patients whose profile patterns were like that of Core Profile 3 were negatively related with weight gain. In conclusion, those patients who fit Core Profile 3 may benefit from different treatment modalities than those that are standard in inpatient settings.

A Tool Extracting Summative Profiles From Person Score Profiles

Abstract. In this paper a profile analysis that utilizes principal component analysis (PCA) is introduced. Although PCA is popular for a dimension reduction method, it is not well known that unrotated components algebraically are summative profiles which linearly encapsulate person score profiles in a population. The summative profiles include one level summative and several pattern summative profiles. The level summative profile represents the overall ability or achievement, like general ability in factor analysis. The pattern summative profiles characterize prototypical score patterns for individuals and provide us collective information about individuals’ strengths and weaknesses on their score profiles. In addition, significance of coordinates of summative profiles is tested by constructing their bootstrap empirical confidence intervals. To demonstrate utilities of the current profile analysis, male and female summative profiles of mathematics achievement are compared and the results indicate that male students outperform at an advanced grade.