The Influence of Mothers on the Development of Their Daughter's Eating Disorders: An Integrative Review

ABSTRACT

ABSTRACT Background: Eating disorders (ED) are characterized by changes in eating behavior, whose aetiology is multifactorial with an emphasis on family relations, especially in the mother-daughter relationship Objective: To analyse the national and international scientific literature about the influence of mothers on the development of their daughter's ED. Methods: Integrative review based on the search of publications from 2012 to 2019 through PubMed, LILACS and SciELO electronic databases. Results: It was found 181 articles, from which 26 were selected (21 in English, four in Portuguese and one in French) to comprise the research corpus. In addition, 155 were removed from the review due to the exclusion criteria, which included narrative review articles, theses, dissertations, monographs, editorial letters and responses to the editor. Discussion: The analyzed articles offer evidence that the type of influence exercised by the mother depends on her personality profile, the mother's eating behaviour and body attitudes, the bond between mother and daughter and the type of communication that is established between the dyad. Conclusion: Health promotion actions in the population are necessary to prevent ED. In addition, interventions for families, and especially for mothers, are recommended, in order to favour more effective therapeutic and prognostic results.