(PS5-55) Examining the Relationships Between OCD Symptoms and Changes in Disordered Eating and Exercise Urges During an Exercise-Based Task.

Abstract Text: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and eating disorders (EDs) often co-occur, with OCD symptoms potentially amplifying disordered eating behaviors, such as restrictive eating, binging, and compulsive exercise. This study explores whether changes in disordered eating and exercise behaviors during an exercise-based task are associated with OCD symptoms. A total of 20 participants with eating disorders completed the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (YBOCS) at baseline to assess obsessive-compulsive symptoms. They also completed the Food Cravings Questionnaire (FCQ) at three time points—pre-milkshake, post-milkshake, and post-exercise—to measure urges to engage in disordered eating and exercise. During the study, participants consumed a pre-portioned, 12oz milkshake and then cycled on a cycle ergometer at their preferred intensity for 40 minutes. Change scores for FCQ were calculated across three time intervals: pre-milkshake to post-milkshake (PreShake-PostShake), post-milkshake to post-exercise (PostShake-PostExercise) and pre-milkshake to post-exercise (PreShake-PostExercise). Pearson’s correlation coefficients were then used to examine associations between baseline OCD symptoms and changes in disordered eating and exercise urges. From PreShake-PostExercise, a positive correlation was observed between (1) the amount of time spent on obsessive thoughts and the urge to exercise (r = 0.47, p = 0.047), and (2) greater perceived control over obsessive thoughts and the urge to exercise (r = 0.51, p = 0.030). These findings suggest that individuals who reported higher levels of time spent on obsessive thoughts and more control over these thoughts were more likely to experience an increased urge to exercise after the task. Additionally, a negative correlation was found between the difficulty in resisting obsessive thoughts and the urge to vomit (r = -0.56, p = 0.017), from PreShake-PostExercise, indicating an increased urge to vomit when individuals reported greater difficulty in resisting their obsessions. In contrast, a negative correlation was found between the interference of compulsive behaviors in daily life and the urge to vomit (r = -0.51, p = 0.038) from PostShake-PostExercise, indicating that individuals experiencing lower interference from compulsive behaviors were more likely to experience an increased urge to vomit after exercise. Overall, disordered eating and exercise urges demonstrated stronger positive correlations with obsessive thoughts than with compulsive behaviors. The stronger associations at PreShake-PostExercise suggest that obsessive thoughts may be more closely linked to changes in disordered eating and exercise urges following both food intake and exercise, rather than either behavior individually. Future research should explore the stability of these associations in larger samples to better understand the relationship between OCD symptoms and disordered eating and exercise behaviors.