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Table 1 Summary of study characteristics (n = 43)

From: Associations between bone mineral density, body composition and amenorrhoea in females with eating disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Author

Country

ED

Sample size (N)

BMI (SD) (kg/m2) or % of IBW

Amenorrhoea (%)

OCP use (%)

Diagnostic method

Design

ED population

Controls

Scanning method

Bone density outcome measures

Body composition outcome measures

NOS-Scale stars of 9

Andersen et al. [28]

USA

AN-R

28

68.1 (14.2) % of IBW

Yes

Unknown

DSM-IV

Case–control

Hospital outpatients

Similar age and white controls

Referred to radiology for non-orthopaedic, non-eating disorder problems to ‘rule out’ osteoporosis

DXA

Spine BMD

 

5

     

Unknown %

         
  

AN-BP

36

73.3 (11.7) % of IBW

Unknown

Unknown

        
  

BN-PAN

18

111.3 (27.8) % of IBW

Unknown

Unknown

        
  

BN-NPAN

14

109.4 (11.3) % of IBW

Unknown

Unknown

        
  

HC

15

Unknown

Unknown

Unknown

        

Bachmann et al. [29]

USA

AN

65

15.9

Yes

Yes

DSM-5

Case–control

Premenopausal women who had undergone quantitative computed tomography

Premenopausal women who had undergone quantitative computed tomography

DXA

QCT

Spine BMD

Fat mass

Lean mass

5

     

Unknown %

Unknown %

        
  

HC

45

19.8

          

Bacopoulou et al. [26]

GRE

AN

17

17.0 (1.1)

Yes

Unknown

DSM-5

Case–control

Adolescent medicine clinic

Healthy controls

Age-matched girls presented for annual health examination in an adolescent medicine clinic

DXA

Total body BMD

Spine aBMD

 

5

     

100%

         
  

AN-Atypical

5

18.3 (16.0–22.9)

Yes

Unknown

DSM-5

       
     

60%

         
  

HC

15

22.1 (1.7)

          

Bratland-Sanda et al. [27]

NOR

AN

8

15.6 (1.4)

Unknown

Unknown

DSM- IV

Case–control

ED hospitalised patients

Healthy controls

Age-matched

Randomly selected from a national pool

DXA

Total body BMD

Spine BMD

Femoral neck BMD

Fat mass

Lean mass

8

  

BN

29

22.3 (3.5)

Unknown

Unknown

DSM- IV

       
  

EDNOS

22

21.0 (3.2)

Unknown

Unknown

DSM- IV

       
  

HC

53

25.3 (4.8)

          

Bredella et al. [30]

USA

AN

10

18.4 (1.0)

Yes

Yes

DSM-IV

Case–control

ED clinics

Healthy controls

Recruited through clinic advertisements

DXA

Total body BMD

Spine BMD

Femoral BMD

Hip BMD

Fat mass

Lean mass

7

     

100%

20%

        
  

HC

10

20.5 (2.6)

          

Bredella et al. [31]

USA

AN

10

17.6 (1.0)

Unknown

Unknown

‘Psychiatric diagnostic criteria for AN’

Case–control

Clinic referrals

Healthy controls

Recruited through community advertisements

DXA

MRI

Total body BMD

Spine BMD

Hip BMD

 

5

  

HC

10

21.9 (1.7)

          

Bredella et al. [32]

USA

AN

5

18.3 (0.9)

Unknown

No

DSM-IV

Case–control

Clinic referrals

Healthy Controls

Recruited through community advertisements

DXA

Fluorodeoxyglucose- PET

CT

Total body BMD

Spine BMD

Femoral neck BMD

Hip BMD

Lateral spine BMD

Fat mass

Lean mass

5

  

HC

5

21.9 (1.7)

          

Čagalová et al. [33]

SLO

AN

63

14.5 (1.8)

Yes

No

DSM-5

Case–control

Hospital patients of the Department of Paediatrics

General paediatric practice

DXA

Total body BMD

Spine BMD

Hip BMD

 

5

     

81.4%

         
  

HC

20

20.2 (1.7)

          

Davies et al. [34]

USA

AN

26

Unknown

Yes

Yes

DSM-III-R

Case–control

Clinic records of eating disorder patients from medical centre

Healthy controls

Select for fitness and diet study or for a DXA and DPA compar ison group

DPA

Spine BMD

Forearm BMD

 

4

     

80.8%

15.4%

        
  

AN-BN

26

Unknown

Yes

Yes

DSM-III

       
     

61.5%

23.1%

        
  

BN

11

Unknown

Yes

Yes

        
     

18.2%

9.1%

        
  

HC

211

Unknown

          

Estour et al. [35]

FRA

AN-R

40

16.0 (0.8)

Yes

No

DSM-IV

Case–control

Hospital outpatients

Healthy controls ranging 18.6–25.0 kg/m2 BMI

DXA

Spine BMD

Femoral BMD

Fat mass

Lean mass

5

     

100%

         
  

HC

54

20.9 (2.2)

          

Faje et al. [36]

USA

AN

21

17.8 (0.2)

Unknown

Unknown

DSM-IV

Cohort

Hospital outpatients

Healthy controls with normal weight

DXA

Total body aBMD

Spine aBMD

Hip aBMD

Distal radius aBMD

Fat mass

Lean mass

6

  

HC

23

22.4 (0.5)

          

Fazeli, Klibanski [37]

USA

AN

26

16.7 (0.5)

Yes

No

DSM-IV

Cohort

ED referrals

Healthy controls

Recruited through community advertisements

DXA

MRI

Spine BMD

Femoral BMD

Hip BMD

 

5

  

HC

20

22.6 (0.3)

          

Fernández-Soto et al. [38]

SPA

AN-R

16

16.8 (1.5)

Yes

No

DSM-IV

Cohort

Clinic outpatients

Healthy controls

Caucasian women

DXA

MRI

Total body BMD

Spine BMD

Fat mass

Lean mass

5

  

AN-R

31

19.1 (2.0)

Yes

No

DSM-IV

       
  

HC

25

21.8 (0.9)

          

Frølich et al. [39]

DEN

AN

25

16.2 (1.3)

Yes

Yes

ICD-10

Case–control

ED unit outpatients

Healthy controls

Age and height-matched females

Randomly selected from a national pool

DXA

Spine BMD

Femoral BMD

Hip BMD

Fat mass

Lean mass

7

     

100%

         
  

HC

25

22.8 (2.7)

          

Guo et al. [40]

CHI

AN

26

16.3 (0.6)

Yes

 

DSM-IV

Cohort

Clinical psychiatrist referrals

Healthy controls

Age-matched

DXA

Total body BMD

Spine BMD

Hip BMD

Fat mass

Lean mass

5

     

100%

         
  

HC

24

20.8 (0.7)

          

Haas et al. [41]

GER

AN

103

16.5 (1.6)

Yes

Yes

DSM-IV

Longitudinal observational

Patients of adolescent and youth medicine clinic

Normal weight controls

Recruited from a local high school

DXA

Total body BMD

Fat mass

Lean mass

5

     

94.2%

5.6%

        
  

HC

51

20.8 (1.8)

          

Iketani et al. [42]

JAP

AN

22

14.4 (2.3)

Yes

No

DSM-III-R

Cohort

Inpatients and outpatients

Healthy controls

Age-matched healthy females

DPA

Total body BMD

Spine BMD

 

5

     

Unknown %

         
  

AN-BN

23

14.4 (1.6)

Yes

No

DSM-III-R

       
     

Unknown %

         
  

BN-PAN

10

19.0 (2.6)

Yes

No

DSM-III-R

       
     

40%

         
  

HC

10

19.5 (0.8)

          

Kandemir et al. [43]

USA

AN

262

17.2 (0.1)

Yes

 

DSM-IV / DSM-5

Case–control

AN participants from Childhood Study

Healthy controls participants from Childhood Study

DXA

Total body BMD

Spine BMD

Hip BMD

 

5

     

85.9%

         
  

HC

90

21.0 (0.2)

          

Karlsson et al. [44]

AUS

AN

77

15.6 (0.2)

Unknown

Unknown

ICD-10

Case–control

AN patients untreated with oestrogen therapy

Healthy controls

DXA

Spine BMD

Femoral neck BMD

Fat mass

Lean mass

5

  

HC

205

23.1 (0.3)

          

Kooh et al. [45]

JAP

AN

22

15.9 (2.2)

Yes

Yes

DSM-III-R

Cohort

Clinic referrals:

Adolescent medicine clinic

Healthy controls

School and university students, no oral contraceptives

DXA

Spine BMD

Femoral neck BMD

Fat mass

Lean mass

5

     

72.3%

4.50%

        
  

HC

24

21.6 (2.2)

          

Maïmoun et al. [46]

FRA

AN-R

206

15.8 (1.7)

Yes

No

DSM-IV

Case–control

Hospital outpatients

Healthy controls

Recruited through community advertisement

DXA

Total body aBMD

Spine aBMD

Hip BMD

Proximal femur aBMD

Fat mass

Lean mass

6

     

100%

         
  

AN-R

99

16.3 (1.4)

No

Yes

DSM-IV

       
      

100%

        
  

HC

121

21.6 (2.3)

          

Masala et al. [47]

ITA

AN

17

17.5 (1.6)

Unknown

Unknown

ICD-10

Cohort

Patients in weight gain programme

Healthy controls

Exclusion included medication or illness to affect bone

DXA

QCT

Spine BMD

 

4

  

HC

27

24.3 (4.8)

          

Mathisen et al. [48]

SWE

BN-NPAN

100

 

Unknown

Unknown

DSM-5

Cross-sectional

Patients from a randomised controlled trial

No healthy control group

DXA

Total body BMD

Spine BMD

Fat mass

Lean mass

6

  

BN-PAN

37

 

Unknown

Unknown

DSM-5

       

Misra et al. [49]

USA

AN

23

16.7 (1.2)

Unknown

Unknown

DSM-IV

Cohort

Clinic referrals

Healthy controls

Age-matched and bone age- matched

Recruited through adverts through healthcare providers and newspapers

DXA

Spine BMD

Hip BMD

Fat mass

Lean mass

6

  

HC

21

21.7 (3.7)

          

Misra et al. [50]

USA

AN

17

16.7 (1.3)

Unknown

Unknown

DSM-IV

Cohort

Paediatrician referrals

Healthy controls

Age-matched and bone age- matched

Recruited through mailings to paediatricians

DXA

Total body BMD

Spine BMD

Femoral neck BMD

Hip BMD

Fat mass

Lean mass

6

  

HC

19

21.8 (3.4)

          

Misra et al. [51]

EUA

AN

110

17.4 (0.1)

Yes

No

DSM-IV

RCT

Hospital outpatient treatment programme

Healthy controls

Recruited through mailings to paediatricians

DXA

Spine BMD

Hip BMD

Fat mass

Lean mass

7

     

100%

         
  

HC

40

21.4 (0.5)

          

Morris et al. [52] 

UK

AN

51

15.1 (1.9)

Yes

Yes

DSM-IV

Cohort

ED specialist referrals

Control group data from department of medical physics

DXA

X-Ray

Total body BMD

Spine BMD

Fat mass

5

     

100%

         
  

BN

47

21.9 ( 3.4)

 

Yes

DSM-IV

       
  

BN-NPAN

26

22.3 (2.7)

 

Yes

DSM-IV

       
  

BN-PAN

21

21.4 (3.0)

 

Yes

DSM-IV

       
  

HC

40

23.3 (4.4)

          

Naessén et al. [53]

SWE

BN

77

22

Yes

No

DSM-IV

Cohort

Recruited from hospital advertisements

Healthy controls

Hospital advertising: hospital staff and students, no current diseases or medication prior to 3 months before the study

DXA

Total body BMD

Spine BMD

Leg BMD

Fat mass

Lean mass

8

     

7.8%

         
  

BN-NPAN

59

   

DSM-IV

       
  

BN-PAN

18

   

DSM-IV

       
  

HC

56

22.2

          

Newman, Halmi [54]

USA

AN

18

73.2 (8.4)

Yes

No

DSM-III-R

Cross-sectional

Inpatients from an ED unit

Normal weight women

DXA

Spine BMD

Femoral BMD

 

4

     

100%

         
  

BN

12

 

Yes

Yes

DSM-III-R

       
     

66.7%

8.4%

        
  

HC

12

           

Newton et al. [55]

AUS/UK

BN

20

21.8 (3.5)

Yes

Yes

DSM-III-R

Cohort

ED outpatient treatment programme

Healthy controls

Age and sex-matched controls from hospital staff notice boards

DXA

Spine BMD

 

7

     

20%

         
  

HC

16

21.9 (1.8)

          

Olmos et al. [56]

SPA

AN

51

17.3 (2.4)

Yes

 

DSM-IV

Prospective longitudinal cohort study

ED unit outpatients

Healthy controls

Hospital advertisements

DXA

Spine BMD

Femoral neck BMD

Hip BMD

 

5

     

100%

         
  

HC

40

21.8 (2.7)

          

Poet et al. [57]

FRA

AN

18

Unknown

Yes

No

DSM-III-R

Cohort

Hospital outpatients

Healthy controls

Volunteers

DXA

Spine BMD

 

5

     

100%

         
  

HC

36

Unknown

          

Resch et al. [58]

AU

AN

20

16.0 (13–18)

Unknown

Unknown

DSM-III-R

Cohort

Hospital outpatients

Healthy controls

Age-matched nursing school students

DXA

Spine BMD

Hip BMD

 

5

  

HC

20

23.0 (19–29)

          

Schorr et al. [59]

USA

AN

46

16.7 (1.8)

Yes

Yes

DSM-5

Cross-sectional

Patients of National Institutes Health trials

Lean healthy controls

From the National Institutes Health trial

DXA

HRpQCT

Spine BMD

Femoral BMD

Hip BMD

 

6

     

60.9%

15.3%

        
  

HC

29

22.6 (1.4)

          

Seeman et al. [60]

AUS

AN

12

15.9 (1.3)

Yes

No

DSM-III-R

Cohort

Patients with AN

Healthy controls

Volunteers with no illness that affects the bone, no drugs, no medication

DXA

Total body BMD

Spine BMD

Proximal femur

Femoral neck BMD

Ward’s triangle BMD

Trochanter BMD

Fat mass

Lean mass

4

     

100%

         
  

AN

37

16.6 (0.4)

Yes

No

DSM-III-R

       
     

100%

         
  

AN OCP

16

17.2 (0.8)

 

Yes

DSM-III-R

       
      

100%

        
  

HC

52

23.3 (0.5)

          

Singhal, Bredella [61]

USA

AN

55

18.7 (0.2)

Yes

No

DSM-IV / DSM-5

Cross-sectional

Ongoing studies assessing bone outcomes

Normal-weight controls

From ongoing studies assesing bone outcomes

DXA

HRpQCT

Total body BMD

Spine BMD

Femoral BMD

Hip BMD

Fat mass

Lean mass

6

     

27.3%

         
  

HC

48

21.7 (0.3)

          

Soyka et al. [62]

USA

AN

19

16.5 (0.4)

Yes

No

DSM-IV

Cohort

Healthcare provider referrals

Healthy controls

Recruited through advertisement in primary care providers and newspapers, BMI 25th-90th percentile, one participant in pre- menarche

DXA

Total body BMD

Spine BMD

Lateral spine BMD

Fat mass

Lean mass

6

     

73.7%

         
  

HC

19

21.8 (0.4)

          

Strumila et al. [63]

FRA

BN-NPAN

50

21.9 (2.6)

Irregular menstrual cycle

Unknown

DSM-5

Cross-sectional

ED unit

No

DXA

Spine BMD

Hip BMD

Fat mass

5

     

35%

         
  

BN-PAN

35

21.9 (2.9)

Irregular menstrual cycles

Unknown

DSM-5

       
     

46.7%

         

Sundgot-Borgen et al. [64]

NOR

AN

13

15.8 (0.9)

Yes

No

DSM-IV

Case–control

Clinic referrals

Healthy controls

University information board recruitment

Comprehensive inclusion criteria for dietary, exercise and ED symptoms

DXA

Total body BMD

Spine BMD

Femoral neck BMD

Leg BMD

Arm BMD

Fat mass

7

     

100%

         
  

BN

43

20.7 (2.0)

Yes

No

DSM-IV

       
     

32.6%

         
  

HC

17

22.0 (2.4)

          

van Marken Lichtenbelt et al. [65]

NL

AN-R

12

16.5 (1.7)

Yes

Yes

DSM-III-R

Cohort

Non-hospitalised outpatients

Healthy controls

Normal weight participating from a study on energy expenditure

DXA

Total body BMD

Fat mass

Lean mass

3

     

58.3%

33.3%

        
  

HC

16

23.7 (2.1)

          

Walsh et al. [66]

USA

AN

8

17.4 (1.4)

Unknown

Unknown

DSM-IV

Cohort

Hospital outpatients

Healthy controls

90–100% ideal weight for age

DXA

CT

Spine BMD

Femoral neck BMD

Hip BMD

Fat mass

Lean mass

4

  

HC

6

24.4 (2.5)

          

Wojcik et al. [67]

USA

AN

15

17.6 (0.2)

Unknown

No

DSM-IV

Cohort

Healthcare referrals and community adverts

Healthy controls

Recruitment through community advertisement

DXA

Total body BMD

Spine BMD

Femoral neck BMD

Hip BMD

Fat mass

Lean mass

4

  

HC

16

23.5 (0.6)

          

Wu et al. [68]

CHI

AN

25

17.5 (1.3)

Yes

Unknown

DSM-5

Case–control

ED providers referrals

Healthy controls

Recruited through mailings to paediatricians

DXA

Total body BMD

Spine BMD

Femoral neck BMD

Fat mass

Lean mass

4

     

100%

         
  

HC

31

20.2 (1.3)

          
  1. ED eating disorder, HC healthy controls, BMI body mass index, IBW ideal body weight, SD standard deviation, AN anorexia nervosa, BN bulimia nervosa, AN-R AN-restrictive subtype, BN-NPAN BN with no previous AN history, BN-PAN BN with previous AN, AN-BN AN with an additional diagnosis of BN (according to DSM-III-R), AN-PB AN-binge purging subtype, EDNOS ED not otherwise specified, OCP oral contraceptive pill, DSM Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, CID International Classification of Diseases, DXA dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, DPA dual photon absorptiometry, CT computerised tomography, MRI magnetic resonance imaging, PET positron emission tomography, BMD bone mineral density