Binge eating in adolescents: its relation to behavioural problems and family-meal patterns

Eat Behav. 2009 Jan;10(1):22-8. doi: 10.1016/j.eatbeh.2008.10.011. Epub 2008 Oct 31.

Abstract

The aim of the study was to explore the relationship between binge eating, behavioural problems and family-meal patterns in a sample of adolescents. Two hundred and fifty-nine adolescents from a public secondary school completed the Bulimic Investigatory test, Edinburgh (BITE) [Henderson, M., & Freeman, C. P. (1987). A self-rating scale for bulimia. The "BITE". British Journal of Psychiatry, 150, 18-24.] and the Youth Self-Report (YSR) [Achenbach, T. M. (1991). Manual for the Youth Self-Report and 1991 profile. Burlington, VT: University of Vermont.], as well as 13 additional questions regarding the eating episodes and family-meal patterns. The results show that binge eating is a frequent behaviour in adolescence with 33.2% of the sample reporting binge eating at least once in the last six months. The adolescents who reported binge eating had higher scores on most of the YSR first-order factors compared to those who do not engage in this behaviour. No differences were found in family meal patterns. Questions regarding the binge-eating episodes were also analysed making comparisons by age and gender.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adolescent Behavior*
  • Age Factors
  • Bulimia / etiology*
  • Bulimia / physiopathology
  • Bulimia / psychology
  • Child
  • Family
  • Feeding Behavior / psychology*
  • Feeding and Eating Disorders / etiology*
  • Feeding and Eating Disorders / physiopathology
  • Feeding and Eating Disorders / psychology
  • Female
  • Food*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Sex Factors
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Young Adult