Table 3.

Minimum requirement of variables that should be assessed, reported, and included in statistical analyses of case–control studies examining anorexia nervosa or other eating disorders to facilitate reproducibility, meta‐analysis, and meta‐regression

Sampling	Sample characteristics
Cases and controls Underlying population: community, hospital Consecutive sample or selection If consecutive, attrition and reasons Diagnosis and ascertainment Diagnostic schema Independent validation Controls Repeated measurement at follow‐up Exclusion of current and history of diagnosis (i.e., screening) Matching (e.g., age, sex) Exclusion criteria	Cases and controls Age Biological sex and gender Height Weight Body mass index Ancestry Socioeconomic status & education Cases Age of onset Duration of illness
Body composition	Menstrual status
Fat mass Fat‐free mass Bone mineral content and density Ideally: Muscle mass Measurement method: e.g., MRI, DXA, or BIA Physical activity (ideally accelerometer data)	Cases Dysmenorrhea or amenorrhea Duration of amenorrhea Age of menarche If menstruating, stage or day of cycle Controls Stage or day of the menstrual cycle (e.g., follicular phase)
Blood sampling	Substances
Blood sample type whole blood, serum, plasma Fasting state Fasting period The time point of blood sampling Pre‐analytics Storage Storage duration	Dose and duration of Contraceptives Supplements & vitamins Medication Prescription Over the counter Laxatives Illicit drugs Alcohol consumption Smoking behavior

^aAdapted from Hernandes, Barbas, & Dudzik, 2017.

Abbreviations: BIA, bioelectrical impedance analysis; DXA, dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry; MRI, magnetic resonance imaging.