Demographic and clinical characteristics of the study sample
| Group; mean ± SD (range)* | Between-group differences | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Variable | Anorexia nervosa, n = 19 | Control, n = 19 | t | p value |
| Age, yr | 28.37 ± 9.55 (18–49) | 28.63 ± 8.58 (19–52) | 0.09 | 0.93 |
| Handedness, no. right:left | 18:1 | 18:1 | — | — |
| Education level, yr | 15.47 ± 3.22 (12–23) | 16.58 ± 2.46 (10–21) | 1.19 | 0.24 |
| Age at onset, yr | 21.84 ± 9.19 (12–48) | — | — | — |
| Duration of the illness, mo | 78.32 ± 72.37 (12–240) | — | — | — |
| BMI | 17.03 ± 1.09 (14–18) | 21.09 ± 1.80 (18–25) | 8.45 | < 0.001† |
| EDI-2 total scores | 66.79 ± 44.28 (13–178) | 13.53 ± 7.37 (3–28) | 5.17 | < 0.001† |
| Harm avoidance (TCI-R) | 106.89 ± 20.26 (75–144) | 98.63 ± 10.83 (78–119) | 1.57 | 0.13 |
| HAM-D | 3.26 ± 3.02 (0–10) | 0.84 ± 1.07 (0–3) | 3.30 | 0.003† |
| HAM-A | 5.11 ± 5.91 (0–22) | 1.63 ± 1.42 (0–4) | 2.50 | 0.025 |
BMI = Body Mass Index; EDI-2 = Eating Disorders Inventory-2; HAM-A = Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety; HAM-D = Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression; SD = standard deviation; TCI-R = Temperament and Character Inventory, revised edition.
↵* Unless otherwise indicated.
↵† Significant p values after Bonferroni correction (p < 0.007).