The Interdependent Nature of Mother's and Children's Temperament and Eating Behaviors on Weight.

OBJECTIVES: The family environment is an important contextual factor for parent and child weight within families. Using an Actor-Partner Interdependence Model, the current study examined (1) the effect of child and mother temperament (i.e., negative affectivity, effortful control, and impulsivity) on mother and child weight, (2) the effect of mother eating behaviors on mother and child weight, and (3) how temperament might moderate the relationships between mother eating behaviors and mother and child weight. METHODS: The sample consisted of 220 mother-child dyads with children between 4 and 6 years of age (66.8% classified as low-, 25.9% middle-, and 5.5% high-income). Mothers completed questionnaires on their own temperament and eating behaviors as well as child temperament. Weight measures were assessed in the laboratory for both mother and child. RESULTS: Mother's negative affectivity and impulsivity were negatively related to mother's weight while children's impulsivity was positively related to children's and mother's weight. Mother's eating behaviors were also positively related to mother's weight. The interaction between child impulsivity and mother eating behaviors was significant; the association of mother eating behaviors with mother weight depended on child impulsivity. Specifically, when children had higher impulsivity, mothers had the highest weight. When children had average or lower impulsivity, mother weight was higher with higher endorsement of unhealthy eating behaviors. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that after adjusting for the interdependent nature of temperament traits and weight, child impulsivity is an important factor associated with current weight for both mothers and children. Results also provide important implications for the impact children can have on their mothers.

Identifying central symptoms of eating disorders among ethnic and racial minority women.

Experiencing eating disorder symptoms is associated with maladaptive outcomes and impairment in functioning. A paucity of research exists examining eating disorder symptoms among ethnic/racial minority women. Using a network analysis, we evaluated core symptoms of eating disorder psychopathology and the degree of association between eating disorder symptoms in a sample of ethnic/racial minority women. Participants were 296 Black, 261 Hispanic, and 261 Asian American women recruited across the United States to complete an online survey. Inclusionary criteria yielded a sample with high eating disorder psychopathology. The Network Comparison Test was used to identify differences in networks between groups and yielded no significant differences between the three ethnic/racial groups. Thus, one network analysis on the entire sample was conducted in the main analyses. However, separate group analyses are presented in the online supplemental materials. Consistent with the transdiagnostic theory of eating disorders, weight concerns (i.e., strong desire to lose weight and fear of weight gain) emerged as central symptoms. Discrepant from findings with predominantly White samples, purging emerged as a central symptom as well, while shape concerns did not. Interestingly, having to weigh oneself weekly, having a flat stomach, fasting, and compulsive exercising were on the periphery of the network. Findings are discussed in terms of clinical implications and comparative similarities and differences when addressing the existing literature. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Measurement equivalence of child feeding and eating measures across gender, ethnicity, and household food security.

BACKGROUND: Although there have been extensive studies that make group comparisons on child eating and feeding practices, few studies have examined measurement equivalence to ensure that measures used to make such group comparisons are equivalent across important group characteristics related to childhood obesity. METHODS: Using a sample of 243 caregivers with children between the ages of 4 to 6 years, we conducted a measurement equivalence analysis across gender, ethnicity (Latino versus non-Latino White), and household food security. The subscales of the Child Feeding Questionnaire (CFQ) and the Child Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (CEBQ) were examined separately using a one factor multi-group confirmatory factor analysis. RESULTS: For the CFQ, Concern about Child Weight and Parental Responsibility subscales were consistent across all groups examined. In contrast, Pressure to Eat, Restriction, and Perceived Parent Weight subscales varied or fit poorly across the groups. For the CEBQ, Emotional Overeating, Enjoyment of Food, and Satiety Responsiveness performed consistently across the groups. On the other hand, Food Fussiness, Desire to Drink, Slowness in Eating, and Emotional Undereating subscales varied or fit poorly across the groups. CONCLUSIONS: Findings from this study suggest both of these measures need continued psychometric work, and group comparisons using some subscales should be interpreted cautiously. Some subscales such as Food Responsiveness and Parental Restriction may be assessing behaviors that occur in food secure households and are less applicable to food insecure environments.

Exploring weight control as motivation for illicit stimulant use.

OBJECTIVE: Research has highlighted a growing trend among young, adult women to initiate drug use for weight loss. With known suppressive effects on appetite, illicit stimulants (i.e., cocaine, amphetamine, methamphetamine, and ecstasy) may be particularly attractive to college women, who are at elevated risk for increased body dissatisfaction and experimenting with extreme weight loss techniques. The current study examines the association between risk factors and symptomatology of eating disorders and illicit stimulant use (ISU). METHODS: A preliminary study was conducted on a nonclinical sample of 131 drug-using, college women (16- to 24-years old). Participants reported internalization of the thin ideal, body dissatisfaction, disordered eating behavior, and current drug use as well as corresponding weight-related motivation. RESULTS: There were 15.3% of women who reported drug use for weight-control purposes. Results showed women who reported drug use for weight control predominantly used illicit stimulants (70%), such as cocaine, amphetamine, methamphetamine, and ecstasy. Moreover, the odds of ISU were increased among women who engaged in laxative misuse. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that a desire for weight control may be associated with ISU among college women. Women engaging in more extreme weight loss behaviors are at high risk for initiating and maintaining ISU for weight-related reasons.

The association between program credibility, expectancy, and acceptability with baseline pathology and outcome for a body acceptance prevention program.

OBJECTIVE: The current study sought to investigate whether credibility, expectancy, and acceptability of the Body Project is impacted by level of disordered eating pathology and whether perceived credibility, expectancy, and acceptability impacts treatment outcomes. METHODS: The sample included 170 undergraduate women from a large public university. Participants completed self-report questionnaires on perceived credibility, expectancy, treatment acceptability, and disordered eating measures. A random subset of 51 participants provided 3-month follow-up measurements. RESULTS: Analyses revealed that post-prevention credibility, expectancy, and treatment acceptability scores were negatively associated with baseline thin-ideal internalization, baseline weight, and shape concerns, and positively associated with baseline body satisfaction and the baseline restraint subscale of the EDEQ. Perceived credibility, expectancy, and treatment acceptability were not associated with session attendance or 3-month follow-up disordered eating scores. DISCUSSION: The Body Project is effective at reducing disordered eating regardless of whether participants liked the program or not.

Development and validation of makeup and sexualized clothing questionnaires.

BACKGROUND: Body acceptance programs on college campuses indicated that collegiate women often report feeling pressure to dress in a sexualized manner, and use makeup to enhance beauty. Currently, no quantitative measures exist to assess attitudes and daily behaviors that may arise in response to perceived pressure to wear makeup or dress in a provocative manner. The goal of the current studies was to develop brief self-report questionnaires aimed at assessing makeup and sexualized clothing use and attitudes in young women. METHODS: An exploratory factor analysis in a sample of 403 undergraduate women was used in Study 1 to create items to measure the pressure women feel to wear makeup and sexualized clothing. A confirmatory factor analysis (N = 153) was used in Study 2 to confirm the factor structure found in Study 1. An incremental validity analysis was also conducted in Study 2. Across both studies, participants completed online questionnaires. RESULTS: In Study 1, items were developed for two questionnaires to assess perceived pressure to wear makeup and discomfort when not wearing makeup, and perceived pressure to wear sexualized clothing, and body image concerns with regards to sexualized clothing. The exploratory factor analyses revealed Unconfident and Unease scales for the Makeup Questionnaire (MUQ) and Body Dissatisfaction and Pressure scales for the Sexualized Clothing Questionnaire (SCQ). In Study 2, the confirmatory factor analyses confirmed the factor structure for the MUQ and SCQ. The incremental validity analysis revealed that these measures can be used to predict self-objectification and shape and weight concern in women. CONCLUSION: These studies provide preliminary support for the factor structure of two novel questionnaires aimed at assessing perceived pressure to wear makeup and sexualized clothing.

Prevalence and treatment of eating disorders among Hispanics/Latino Americans in the United States.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: We reviewed the recent literature on prevalence rates, and application of evidence-based treatments for eating disorders among Hispanics/Latinos residing in the United States. RECENT FINDINGS: Lifetime prevalence rates of anorexia nervosa are lower among Hispanic/Latinos than non-Hispanic Whites. There are comparable rates of bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder (BED) among Hispanic/Latinos and non-Hispanic Whites. BED is the most common eating disorder among Hispanic/Latinos. Evidence-based treatments have begun to be implemented with Hispanics/Latinos. The core concepts of cognitive behavioral therapy for bulimia nervosa and BED apply to this population. Culture-specific adaptations include strengthening the collectivistic framework within an individualistic treatment, psychoeducation of immediate and extended family, and adjustment of meal plans that incorporated cultural foods. SUMMARY: There are more similarities than differences in the prevalence of eating disorders across Hispanics/Latinos and non-Hispanic Whites. However, the social context such as immigration status and acculturation is important to consider in the development of eating disorders. In addition, the Westernization of Latin America may change the future relationship of immigration status and development of eating disorder within the United States. Overall, cultural adaptations of evidence-based treatments involved the inclusion of family within treatment, acculturation-related issues, and managing family conflicts that arise because of the changes in eating patterns.

The effects of different recruitment and incentive strategies for body acceptance programs on college women.

The objective of this study-getting individuals to participate in eating disorder prevention programs-is difficult yet crucial for dissemination efforts. Little research has investigated what incentive strategies can be particularly efficacious, and even less is published on their cost-effectiveness. The following study examined two types of email advertisements and six incentive strategies in an empirically supported body acceptance program disseminated at a large university. A total of 5,978 undergraduate women received email advertisements, of which 430 signed up to participate. An additional 588 who did not participate were assessed. Results suggest the most effective incentives were offering gift certificates for free manicure services and free personal fashion style training gift certificates from a student organization. Undergraduate women were least likely to attend due to lack of knowledge about the program, not having a friend to attend with them, or inconvenient times. Implications for future research are explored.