MENTAL HEALTH Towards understanding gender differences in disordered eating among adolescents Lea Anneli Hautala MNSc, RN, PhD PhD Student in Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Turku, Finland and The Hospital District of Southwest Finland and Turku Municipal Health Care, Finland Jouni Junnila StudSocSc Graduate Student of Biostatistics, Department of Biostatistics, University of Turku, Finland Hans Helenius MSc Consulting Biostatistician, Department of Biostatistics, University of Turku, Finland Aija-Mari Va ¨a ¨na ¨nen MA Psychologist, Adolescent Psychiatric Clinic of Turku, Finland Pirjo-Riitta Liuksila RN, PhD Nursing Director, Turku Municipal Health Care, Finland Hannele Ra ¨iha ¨ PhD Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Turku, Finland Maritta Va ¨ lima ¨ki RN, PhD Professor, Department of Nursing Science, University of Turku, Finland and The Hospital District of Southwest Finland Simo Saarija ¨rvi MD, PhD Professor, Clinic of Adolescent Psychiatry University of Turku, Finland and The Hospital District of Southwest Finland Submitted for publication: 2 February 2007 Accepted for publication: 13 July 2007 Correspondence: Lea Anneli Hautala Clinic of Adolescent Psychiatry Turku University Hospital Kunnallissairaalantie 20, Building 5 20700 Turku Finland Telephone: þ358 40 7082215 E-mail: leahau@utu.fi HAUTALA LA, JUNNILA J, HELENIUS H, VAANANEN A-M, LIUKSILA P-R, HAUTALA LA, JUNNILA J, HELENIUS H, VA ¨ A ¨ NA ¨ NEN A-M, LIUKSILA P-R, RAIHA H, VALIMAKI M & SAARIJARVI S (2008) RA ¨ IHA ¨ H, VA ¨ LIMA ¨ KI M & SAARIJA ¨ RVI S (2008) Journal of Clinical Nursing 17, 1803–1813 Towards understanding gender differences in disordered eating among adolescents Aims and objectives. The aim of the study was to enhance the detection of disor- dered eating in adolescents. The objectives were to examine gender differences in the prevalence of eating disorder symptoms, in occurrence of health-risk factors and susceptibility to these and to investigate associations between health-risk factors and eating disorder symptoms. Background. Disordered eating has a strong female preponderance. Reasons for the gender discrepancy are not well known. However, to develop effective strategies for Ó 2008 The Authors. Journal compilation Ó 2008 Blackwell Publishing Ltd 1803 doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2702.2007.02143.x