A case control design with individual matching was used in the study. Two related case control comparisons were employed based on community samples. A total of 102 young adult women with bulimia nervosa were compared with 204 control subjects who did not have an eating disorder and with 102 control subjects who had other psychiatric disorders. Bulimia nervosa cases were recruited from women registered with 23 general practices in urban and rural areas of Oxfordshire, England, and an investigator-based interview was used to assess sexual and physical abuse. It was found that sexual abuse involving physical contact was reported in 35 percent of bulimia nervosa cases. Sexual abuse was more common among this group than among normal controls. Physical abuse was also reported in a few bulimia nervosa cases and was more common among this group than among normal controls. There were no significant differences between bulimia nervosa cases and controls in terms of general psychiatric disorders, except in the category of repeated severe sexual abuse. The authors conclude that sexual abuse and physical abuse are both risk factors for the development of bulimia nervosa, even though they are not present in most cases. The authors also indicate that sexual abuse and physical abuse appear to be risk factors for psychiatric disorders in general in young adult women rather than risk factors specific to bulimia nervosa. 28 references and 2 tables