Positive youth developmental assets: Implications for eating disorder prevention.

Developmental assets framework proposes a combination of internal and external assets serve as the building blocks to healthy development. Secondary analysis of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health was employed to assess associations between developmental assets in adolescence, specifically 7^th-12^th grade, and subsequent disordered eating behaviors and diagnosed eating disorders seven years later. Greater internal assets were associated with lower levels of engagement in disordered eating behaviors and lower prevalence of diagnosed eating disorders among females. Additionally, greater external assets were associated with increased prevalence of diagnosis among females. No associations were observed between developmental assets and eating related behaviors among males. Results provide evidence supporting a developmental asset-based prevention approach for both eating disorders and disordered eating behavior among females. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]