Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Connections Between Marital Conflict and Adolescent Girls’ Disordered Eating: Parent–Adolescent Relationship Quality as a Mediator

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Journal of Child and Family Studies Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The family system has frequently been suggested to play an important role in adolescents’ health. Particularly, conflict within the marital dyad has been associated with maladjustment among adolescents, although studies have rarely focused on disordered eating as a possible negative outcome. In this study, we examined the direct association between marital conflict and disordered eating among 123 adolescent girls in middle school and high school. We also tested the mediating role of adolescents’ positive relationship quality with their mothers and fathers (e.g., high warmth and low control) in this relation. For our hypothesized direct effects and mediation models, we formed latent constructs with cross-sectional data collected from girls’ self-report questionnaires and applied bootstrapping procedures. We found that marital conflict was both directly and indirectly, via poor mother– and father–adolescent relationship quality, associated with girls’ disordered eating. This suggests that the mother–father, mother–adolescent, and father–adolescent family subsystems can play a part in influencing girls’ eating patterns. Clearly, family subsystems have significant roles in promoting the health of young, female adolescents. Future research and treatment efforts for girls exhibiting disordered eating should aim to include family members and address the roles of different family subsystems.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bearman, S. K., Presnell, K., Martinez, E., & Stice, E. (2006). The skinny on body dissatisfaction: A longitudinal study of adolescent girls and boys. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 35, 229–241. doi:10.1007/s10964-005-9010-9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Benson, M. J., Buehler, C., & Gerard, J. M. (2008). Interparental hostility and early adolescent problem behavior: Spillover via maternal acceptance, harshness, inconsistency, and intrusiveness. Journal of Early Adolescence, 28, 428–454. doi:10.1177/0272431608316602.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bickham, N., & Fiese, B. (1997). Extension of the children’s perceptions of interparental conflict scale for use with late adolescents. Journal of Family Psychology, 11, 246–250. doi:10.1037/0893-3200.11.2.246.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blodgett Salafia, E. H., Gondoli, D. M., Corning, A. F., Bucchianeri, M. M., & Godinez, N. M. (2009). Longitudinal examination of maternal psychological control and adolescents’ self-competence as predictors of bulimic symptoms among boys and girls. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 42, 422–428. doi:10.1002/eat.20626.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blodgett Salafia, E. H., Gondoli, D. M., Corning, A. F., McEnery, A. M., & Grundy, A. M. (2007). Psychological distress as a mediator of the relation between perceived maternal parenting and normative maladaptive eating among adolescent girls. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 54, 434–446. doi:10.1037/0022-0167.54.4.434.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Calam, R., Waller, G., Slade, P., & Newton, P. (1990). Eating disorders and perceived relationships with parents. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 9, 479–485. doi:10.1002/1098-108X(199009)9:5<479:AID-EAT2260090502>3.0.CO;2-I.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Canetti, L., Bachar, E., Galili-Weisstub, E., Kaplan De-Nour, A., & Shalev, A. (1997). Parental bonding and mental health in adolescence. Adolescence, 32, 381–394.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cheung, G. W., & Lau, R. S. (2008). Testing mediation and suppression effects of latent variables: Bootstrapping with structural equation models. Organizational Research Methods, 11, 296–325. doi:10.1177/1094428107300343.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cox, M. J., & Paley, B. (1997). Families as systems. Annual Review of Psychology, 48, 243–267. doi:10.1146/annurev.psych.48.1.243.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cox, M. J., & Paley, B. (2003). Understanding families as systems. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 12, 193–196. doi:10.1111/1467-8721.01259.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cui, M., & Conger, R. D. (2008). Parenting behavior as mediator and moderator of the association between marital problems and adolescent maladjustment. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 18, 261–284. doi:10.1111/j.1532-7795.2008.00560.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Davies, P. T., & Cummings, E. M. (1994). Marital conflict and child adjustment: An emotional security hypothesis. Psychological Bulletin, 116, 387–411. doi:10.1037/0033-2909.116.3.387.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dolan, B. M., Lieberman, S., Evans, C., & Lacey, J. H. (1990). Family features associated with normal body weight bulimia. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 9, 639–647. doi:10.1002/1098-108X(199011)9:6<639:AID-EAT2260090606>3.0.CO;2-H.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Doyle, A. B., & Markiewicz, D. (2005). Parenting, marital conflict, and adjustment from early- to mid-adolescence: Mediated by adolescent attachment style? Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 34, 97–110. doi:10.1007/s10964-005-3209-7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fauber, R., Forehand, R., Thomas, A. M., & Wierson, M. (1990). A mediational model of the impact of marital conflict on adolescent adjustment in intact and divorced families: The role of disrupted parenting. Child Development, 61, 1112–1123. doi:10.2307/1130879.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Garner, D. M., Olmstead, M. P., & Polivy, J. (1983). Development and validation of multidimensional eating disorder inventory for anorexia nervosa and bulimia. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 2, 15–34. doi:10.1002/1098-108X(198321)2:2<15:AID-EAT2260020203>3.0.CO;2-6.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gerard, J. M., Krishnakumar, A., & Buehler, C. (2006). Marital conflict, parent-child relations, and youth maladjustment: A longitudinal investigation of spillover effects. Journal of Family Issues, 27, 951–975. doi:10.1177/0192513X05286020.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grych, J. H., & Fincham, F. D. (1990). Marital conflict and children’s adjustment: A cognitive-contextual framework. Psychological Bulletin, 108, 267–290. doi:10.1037/0033-2909.108.2.267.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Grych, J. H., Fincham, F. D., Jouriles, E. N., & McDonald, R. (2000). Interparental conflict and child adjustment: Testing the mediational role of appraisals in the cognitive contextual framework. Child Development, 71, 1648–1661. doi:10.1111/1467-8624.00255.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Grych, J. H., Harold, G. T., & Miles, C. J. (2003). A prospective investigation of appraisals as mediators of the link between interparental conflict and child adjustment. Child Development, 74, 1176–1193. doi:10.1111/1467-8624.00600.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Grych, J. H., Seid, M., & Fincham, F. D. (1992). Assessing marital conflict from the child’s perspective: The children’s perception of interparental conflict scale. Child Development, 63, 558–572. doi:10.2307/1131346.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Harold, G. T., Shelton, K. H., Goeke-Morey, M. C., & Cummings, E. M. (2004). Marital conflict, child emotional security about family relationships and child adjustment. Social Development, 13, 350–376. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9507.2004.00272.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lacey, J. H., Coker, S., & Birtchnell, S. A. (1986). Bulimia: Factors associated with its etiology and maintenance. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 5, 475–487. doi:10.1002/1098-108X(198603)5:3<475:AID-EAT2260050306>3.0.CO;2-0.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Laird, R. D., Pettit, G. S., Bates, J. E., & Dodge, K. A. (2003). Parents’ monitoring knowledge and adolescents’ delinquent behavior: Evidence of correlated developmental changes and reciprocal influences. Child Development, 74, 752–768. doi:10.1111/1467-8624.00566.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Latzer, Y., Lavee, Y., & Gal, S. (2009). Marital and parent-child relationships in families with daughters who have eating disorders. Journal of Family Issues, 30, 1201–1220. doi:10.1177/0192513X09334599.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Levine, M. P., & Smolak, L. (2009). Recent developments and promising directions in the prevention of negative body image and disordered eating in children and adolescents. In L. Smolak & J. K. Thompson (Eds.), Body image, eating disorders, and obesity in youth: Assessment, prevention, and treatment (2nd ed., pp. 215–239). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • Littleton, H. L., & Ollendick, T. (2003). Negative body Image and disordered eating behavior in children and adolescents: What places youth at risk and how can these problems be prevented? Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 6, 51–66. doi:10.1023/A:1022266017046.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lobera, I. J., Rios, P. B., & Casals, O. G. (2011). Parenting styles and eating disorders. Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, 18, 728–735. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2850.2011.01723.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Magnavita, J. J. (2012). Advancing clinical science using system theory as the framework for expanding family psychology with unified psychotherapy. Couple and Family Psychology: Research and Practice, 1, 3–13. doi:10.1037/a0027492.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mallinckrodt, B., Abraham, W. T., Wei, M., & Russell, D. W. (2006). Advances in testing the statistical significance of mediation effects. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 53, 372–378. doi:10.1037/0022-0167.53.3.372;10.1037/0022-0167.53.3.372.supp.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maloney, M., McGuire, J., & Daniels, S. (1988). Reliability testing of a children’s version of the eating attitudes test. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 5, 541–543. doi:10.1097/00004583-198809000-00004.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Manassis, K., Owens, M., Adam, K., West, M., & Sheldon-Keller, A. (1999). Assessing attachment: Convergent validity of the adult attachment interview and the parental bonding instrument. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 33, 559–567. doi:10.1080/j.1440-1614.1999.00560.x.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Martínez-González, M., Gual, P., Lahortiga, F., Alonso, Y., de Irala-Estévez, J., & Cervera, S. (2003). Parental factors, mass media influences, and the onset of eating disorders in a prospective population-based cohort. Pediatrics, 111, 315–320. doi:10.1542/peds.111.2.315.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • McDonald, R., & Grych, J.H. (2006). Young children's appraisals of interparental conflict: Measurement and links with adjustment problems. Journal of Family Psychology, 20, 88–99. doi:10.1037/0893-3200.20.1.88.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • McEwen, C., & Flouri, E. (2009). Fathers’ parenting, adverse life events, and adolescents’ emotional and eating disorder symptoms: The role of emotion regulation. European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 18, 206–216. doi:10.1007/s00787-008-0719-3.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Minuchin, S. (1974). Families and family therapy. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Muthén, L. K., & Muthén, B. O. (2012). Mplus version 7. Los Angeles, CA: Muthén and Muthén.

    Google Scholar 

  • Neumark-Sztainer, D., Story, M., Hannan, P. J., Beuhring, T., & Resnick, M. D. (2000). Disordered eating among adolescents: Associations with sexual/physical abuse and other familial/psychosocial factors. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 28, 249–258. doi:10.1002/1098-108X(200011)28:3<249:AID-EAT1>3.0.CO;2-H.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Neumark-Sztainer, D., Wall, M., Guo, J., Story, M., Haines, J., & Eisenberg, M. (2006). Obesity, disordered eating, and eating disorders in a longitudinal study of adolescents: How do dieters fare 5 years later? Journal of American Dietetic Association, 106, 559–568. doi:10.1016/j.jada.2006.01.003.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Neumark-Sztainer, D., Wall, M., Larson, N. I., Eisenberg, M. E., & Loth, K. (2011). Dieting and disordered eating behaviors from adolescence to young adulthood: Findings from a 10-year longitudinal study. Journal of American Dietetic Association, 111, 1004–1011. doi:10.1016/j.jada.2011.04.012.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Parker, G., Tupling, H., & Brown, L. B. (1979). A parental bonding instrument. British Journal of Medical Psychology, 52, 1–10. doi:10.1111/j.2044-8341.1979.tb02487.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Preacher, K. J., & Hayes, A. F. (2008). Asymptotic and resampling strategies for assessing and comparing indirect effects in multiple mediator models. Behavior Research Methods, 40, 879–891. doi:10.3758/BRM.40.3.879.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rhoades, K. A. (2008). Children’s responses to interparental conflict: A meta-analysis of their associations with child adjustment. Child Development, 79, 1942–1956. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8624.2008.01235.x.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Schoppe-Sullivan, S. J., Schermerhorn, A. C., & Cummings, E. M. (2007). Marital conflict and children’s adjustment: Evaluation of the parenting process model. Journal of Marriage and Family, 69, 1118–1134. doi:10.1111/j.1741-3737.2007.00436.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shore, R. A., & Porter, J. E. (1990). Normative and reliability data for 11–18 year olds on the eating disorder inventory. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 9, 201–207. doi:10.1002/1098-108X(199003)9:2<201:AID-EAT2260090209>3.0.CO;2-9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shrout, P. E., & Bolger, N. (2002). Mediation in experimental and nonexperimental studies: New procedures and recommendations. Psychological Methods, 7, 422–445. doi:10.1037/1082-989X.7.4.422.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Smolak, L., & Levine, M. (1994). Psychometric properties of the children’s eating attitudes test. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 16, 275–282. doi:10.1002/1098-108X(199411)16:3<275:AID-EAT2260160308>3.0.CO;2-U.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Snoek, H. M., Van Strien, T., Janssens, J. M. A. M., & Engels, R. C. M. E. (2007). Emotional, external, restrained eating and overweight in Dutch adolescents. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 48, 23–32. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9450.2006.00568.x.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Striegel-Moore, R. H., & Cachelin, F. M. (1999). Body image concerns and disordered eating in adolescent girls: Risk and protective factors. In N. G. Johnson, M. C. Roberts, & J. Worell (Eds.), Beyond appearance: A new look at adolescent girls (pp. 85–108). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sturge-Apple, M. L., Davies, P. T., & Cummings, E. M. (2006). Hostility and withdrawal in marital conflict: Effects on parental emotional unavailability and inconsistent discipline. Journal of Family Psychology, 20, 227–238. doi:10.1037/0893-3200.20.2.227.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Suisman, J. L., Alexandra Burt, S. S., McGue, M., Iacono, W. G., & Klump, K. L. (2011). Parental divorce and disordered eating: An investigation of a gene-environment interaction. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 44(2), 169–177. doi:10.1002/eat.20866.

    PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Swanson, S., Crow, S., LeGrange, D., Swendsen, J., & Merikangas, K. (2011). Prevalence and correlates of eating disorders in adolescents: Results from the national comorbidity survey replication adolescent supplement. Archives of General Psychology, 68, 714–723. doi:10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2011.22.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thompson, J. K., Heinberg, L., Altabe, M., & Tantleff-Dunn, S. (1999). Exacting beauty: Theory, assessment, and treatment of body image disturbance. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • Troxel, W. M., & Matthews, K. A. (2004). What are the costs of marital conflict and dissolution to children’s physical health? Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 7, 29–57. doi:10.1023/B:CCFP.0000020191.73542.b0.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Turner, H. M., Rose, K. S., & Cooper, M. J. (2005). Parental bonding and eating disorder symptoms in adolescents: The mediating role of core beliefs. Eating Behaviors, 6, 113–118. doi:10.1016/j.eatbeh.2004.08.010.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • van Strien, T., Frijters, J. E. R., Bergers, G. P. A., & Defares, P. B. (1986). The Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire (DEBQ) for assessment of restrained, emotional, and external eating behavior. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 5, 295–315. doi:10.1002/1098-108X(198602)5:2<295::AID-EAT2260050209>3.0.CO;2-T.

  • Wade, T. D., Bulik, C. M., & Kendler, K. S. (2001). Investigation of quality of the parental relationship as a risk factor for subclinical bulimia nervosa. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 30, 389–400. doi:10.1002/eat.1100.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wade, T. D., Gillespie, N., & Martin, N. G. (2007). A comparison of early family life events amongst monozygotic twin women with lifetime anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, or major depression. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 40, 679–686. doi:10.1002/eat.20461.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Zimet, D. M., & Jacob, T. (2001). Influences of marital conflict on child adjustment: Review of theory and research. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 4, 319–335. doi:10.1023/A:1013595304718.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Human Development and Family Science, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND, 58108, USA

    Elizabeth H. Blodgett Salafia, Mallary K. Schaefer & Emily C. Haugen

Authors
  1. Elizabeth H. Blodgett Salafia
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Mallary K. Schaefer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Emily C. Haugen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Elizabeth H. Blodgett Salafia.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Blodgett Salafia, E.H., Schaefer, M.K. & Haugen, E.C. Connections Between Marital Conflict and Adolescent Girls’ Disordered Eating: Parent–Adolescent Relationship Quality as a Mediator. J Child Fam Stud 23, 1128–1138 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-013-9771-9

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-013-9771-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation