Age Differences in Prenatal Testosterone's Protective Effects on Disordered Eating Symptoms: Developmental Windows of Expression?

摘要: Prenatal testosterone exposure may be protective against disordered eating. However, prior studies have produced mixed results. Developmental differences in prenatal testosterone's effects on eating explain these discrepancies. Indeed, differed the age of participants assessed, with data supporting early adolescent and young adult samples but not late adolescence. The present are first to investigate Two indirect markers higher were examined: (a) lower finger-length ratios (Study 1: index [2D]/ring [4D] finger [2D:4D]) (b) female s from opposite-sex twin pairs (who thought exposed their male co-twin) relative controls 2). Participants twins Michigan State University Twin Registry n = 409; Study 2: 1,538) adolescence, or adulthood. Disordered was assessed well-validated questionnaires. Finger-length measured hand scans, using electronic computer calipers. Findings consistent across both studies. Higher (lower 2D:4D; females vs. controls) predicted adolescence adulthood only. testosterone-disordered associations observed during Results point possibility developmental windows expression for suggest that discrepant results reflect samples.