Disturbed body image perception and personality features and the way they influence eating disorders have been frequently studied in patients with eating disorders, but not in children's non clinical samples.

To analyze the influence of body image perception and personality features on eating disturbances in a non clinical sample of children

Longitudinal study. The sample was composed of 100 children, who were assessed at eleven and thirteen. Emotional, cognitive and behavioral aspects of the body image were evaluated using BPSS, BSQ, DST, BIAQ and body mass index (BMI). To assess personality features the EPQ was used and to assess eating disorders three scale of EDI-2 (drive for thinness, bulimia and body dissatisfaction) were used. For the statistic analysis, stepwise regression was used.

In the boys’ group, introversion ate 11 positively correlated with drive for thinness at 13. Neuroticism predicted higher bulimia score and body mass index predicted body dissatisfaction. In the girls’ group, neuroticism predicted drive for thinness, psychoticism predicted higher bulimia and higher BMI predict body dissatisfaction.

Personality features and BMI seem to predict at eleven the eating disturbances that will be detected later, at thirteen.