OBJECTIVE
This study examined whether sexual and
physical abuse, bullying by
peers, and ethnicity-based discrimination
are associated with an increased
risk for developing binge eating disorder
in black women and in white women and
whether any increase in risk is
specific for the development of binge eating
disorder.
METHOD
A community sample of 162 women with
binge eating disorder and 251
healthy and 107 psychiatric comparison
subjects was interviewed for
exposure to the risk factors under
investigation.
RESULTS
White subjects with binge eating
disorder reported significantly
higher rates of sexual abuse, physical
abuse, bullying by peers, and
discrimination than healthy comparison
subjects. Only rates of discrimination
were significantly higher in
white women with binge eating disorder than
in matched psychiatric comparison
subjects. In black women with binge eating
disorder, rates of sexual abuse,
physical abuse, and bullying by peers—but
not discrimination—were significantly
higher than in healthy comparison
women. Rates of sexual abuse were
significantly higher in black
women with binge eating disorder than in
psychiatric comparison subjects.
CONCLUSIONS
Consistent with previous research
examining ethnicity-specific patterns
of risk for psychiatric disorder,
we found both ethnic similarities (physical
abuse and bullying by peers) and
differences (sexual abuse and
discrimination) in the risk for
binge eating disorder.
|
