Freida Blostein1, Shervin Assari2,3, Cleopatra Howard Caldwell2,4. 1. Center for Research on Ethnicity, Culture and Health, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, 1415 Washington Heights, 2858 SPH I, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-2029, USA. blostein@umich.edu. 2. Center for Research on Ethnicity, Culture and Health, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, 1415 Washington Heights, 2858 SPH I, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-2029, USA. 3. Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA. 4. Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The research on binge eating has overwhelmingly focused on Whites. We aimed to study gender and ethnic differences in the association between body image dissatisfaction and binge eating in a nationally representative sample of Black adults in the USA. METHODS: This cross-sectional study used data from the National Survey of American Life (NSAL), 2003-2004. Self-identified Caribbean Black (n = 1621) and African American (3570) adults aged 18 and older were enrolled. The independent variable was body dissatisfaction measured with two items. Using the World Health Organization Composite International Diagnostic Interview (WHO-CIDI), outcome was lifetime binge eating without hierarchy according to the DSM-IV criteria. Covariates included age, socioeconomic factors (i.e., education and marital status), and body mass index. Ethnicity and gender were focal moderators. Logistic regressions were used for data analysis. RESULTS: Despite comparable prevalence of lifetime binge eating (5 vs 4 %, p > 0.05), African Americans reported higher body image dissatisfaction than Caribbean Blacks (36 vs 29 %, p > 0.05). In the pooled sample, body dissatisfaction was a strong predictor of lifetime binge eating disorders. There was a significant interaction (p = 0.039) between ethnicity and body image dissatisfaction on binge eating, suggesting a stronger association between body image dissatisfaction and lifetime binge eating for Caribbean Blacks (OR = 11.65, 95 % 6.89-19.72) than African Americans (OR = 6.72, 95 % CI 3.97-11.37). Gender did not interact with body image dissatisfaction on binge eating. CONCLUSION: Ethnic variation in the link between body image dissatisfaction and binge eating may be due to within-race cultural differences in body image between African Americans and Caribbean Blacks. This may include different definitions, norms, and expectations regarding the body size. Findings suggest that ethnicity may bias relevance of body image dissatisfaction as a diagnostic criterion for binge eating disorders among diverse populations of Blacks.
BACKGROUND: The research on binge eating has overwhelmingly focused on Whites. We aimed to study gender and ethnic differences in the association between body image dissatisfaction and binge eating in a nationally representative sample of Black adults in the USA. METHODS: This cross-sectional study used data from the National Survey of American Life (NSAL), 2003-2004. Self-identified Caribbean Black (n = 1621) and African American (3570) adults aged 18 and older were enrolled. The independent variable was body dissatisfaction measured with two items. Using the World Health Organization Composite International Diagnostic Interview (WHO-CIDI), outcome was lifetime binge eating without hierarchy according to the DSM-IV criteria. Covariates included age, socioeconomic factors (i.e., education and marital status), and body mass index. Ethnicity and gender were focal moderators. Logistic regressions were used for data analysis. RESULTS: Despite comparable prevalence of lifetime binge eating (5 vs 4 %, p > 0.05), African Americans reported higher body image dissatisfaction than Caribbean Blacks (36 vs 29 %, p > 0.05). In the pooled sample, body dissatisfaction was a strong predictor of lifetime binge eating disorders. There was a significant interaction (p = 0.039) between ethnicity and body image dissatisfaction on binge eating, suggesting a stronger association between body image dissatisfaction and lifetime binge eating for Caribbean Blacks (OR = 11.65, 95 % 6.89-19.72) than African Americans (OR = 6.72, 95 % CI 3.97-11.37). Gender did not interact with body image dissatisfaction on binge eating. CONCLUSION: Ethnic variation in the link between body image dissatisfaction and binge eating may be due to within-race cultural differences in body image between African Americans and Caribbean Blacks. This may include different definitions, norms, and expectations regarding the body size. Findings suggest that ethnicity may bias relevance of body image dissatisfaction as a diagnostic criterion for binge eating disorders among diverse populations of Blacks.
Entities:
Keywords:
Binge eating disorder; Body image dissatisfaction; Ethnicity; Gender
Authors: James S Jackson; Myriam Torres; Cleopatra H Caldwell; Harold W Neighbors; Randolph M Nesse; Robert Joseph Taylor; Steven J Trierweiler; David R Williams Journal: Int J Methods Psychiatr Res Date: 2004 Impact factor: 4.035
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