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Family Functioning and Dysfunctional Eating Among Italian Adolescents: The Moderating Role of Gender

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Abstract

The first aim of this study was to examine the association between different dimensions of family functioning and dysfunctional eating in a sample of Italian adolescent boys and girls. The second aim was to investigate whether gender moderates the relationship between family functioning and dysfunctional eating. Seven hundred and twenty seven adolescents (500 boys and 227 girls) with ages ranging from 15 to 18 years completed a survey of self-report measures. Findings from hierarchical multiple regression analysis suggested that aspects of family functioning such as flexibility, cohesion, disengagement, enmeshment, rigidity and chaotic were related to dysfunctional eating in adolescents. Additionally the results indicated differences between boys and girls, in particular dysfunctional eating in adolescent boys seemed to be more affected by dimensions of enmeshment and disengagement than dysfunctional eating in girls. This research highlights the important role of various aspects of family functioning in relation to dysfunctional eating in adolescents.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Rome Sapienza, via dei Marsi 78, 00185, Rome, Italy

    Fiorenzo Laghi, Emma Baumgartner, Sara Pompili & Roberto Baiocco

  2. Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Meghan L. McPhie & Jennine S. Rawana

Authors
  1. Fiorenzo Laghi
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  2. Meghan L. McPhie
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  3. Emma Baumgartner
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  4. Jennine S. Rawana
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  5. Sara Pompili
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  6. Roberto Baiocco
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Correspondence to Fiorenzo Laghi.

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Laghi, F., McPhie, M.L., Baumgartner, E. et al. Family Functioning and Dysfunctional Eating Among Italian Adolescents: The Moderating Role of Gender. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 47, 43–52 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-015-0543-1

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