Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Depression, stress and body fat are associated with binge eating in a community sample of African American and Hispanic women

Eating and Weight Disorders - Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity volume 18, pages 221–227 (2013)Cite this article

Abstract

Objective

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among depressive symptoms, stress and severity of binge eating symptoms in a community sample of African American and Hispanic or Latina women.

Method

Women (African American, n = 127; Hispanic or Latina, n = 44) completed measures of body composition, stress, depression, and binge eating.

Results

Scores on a depressive symptom scale indicated that 24.0 % of participants exhibited clinically significant levels of depressive symptoms. Mean binge eating scores were below the threshold for clinically diagnosed binge eating (12.99 ± 7.90). Mean stressful event scores were 25.86 ± 14.26 and the average stress impact score was 78.36 ± 55.43. Linear regression models found that body composition, stress impact score, and being classified as having clinically significant levels of depression were associated with severity of binge eating symptoms.

Conclusion

Higher levels of percent body fat, a CES-D score ≥16 and higher WSI-Impact scores were associated with greater severity of binge eating symptoms.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Access options

Buy single article

Instant access to the full article PDF.

USD 39.95

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

References

  1. Flegal KM et al (2010) Prevalence and trends in obesity among US adults, 1999–2008. JAMA 303(3):235–241

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. National Cancer Institute (2011) Cancer trends progress report, 2009–2010 update: prevention. Available from: http://progressreport.cancer.gov/doc.asp?pid=1&did=2009&mid=vcol&chid=91

  3. National Institutes of Health (1998) Clinical guidelines on the identification, evaluation and treatment of overweight and obesity in adults: the evidence report. Obes Res 6(Suppl 2):51S–209S

    Google Scholar 

  4. Johnston DW, Lee WS (2011) Explaining the female black-white obesity gap: a decomposition analysis of proximal causes. Demography 48(4):1429–1450

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Keranen AM et al (2009) The effect of eating behavior on weight loss and maintenance during a lifestyle intervention. Prev Med 49(1):32–38

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Yanovski SZ, Sebring NG (1994) Recorded food intake of obese women with binge eating disorder before and after weight loss. Int J Eat Disord 15(2):135–150

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Guss JL et al (2002) Binge size increases with body mass index in women with binge-eating disorder. Obes Res 10(10):1021–1029

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Hrabosky JI, Grilo CM (2007) Body image and eating disordered behavior in a community sample of Black and Hispanic women. Eat Behav 8(1):106–114

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Pike KM et al (2001) A comparison of black and white women with binge eating disorder. Am J Psychiatry 158(9):1455–1460

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Striegel-Moore RH et al (2000) Recurrent binge eating in black American women. Arch Fam Med 9(1):83–87

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Striegel-Moore RH et al (2001) Comparison of binge eating disorder and bulimia nervosa in a community sample. Int J Eat Disord 29(2):157–165

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Napolitano MA, Himes S (2011) Race, weight, and correlates of binge eating in female college students. Eat Behav 12(1):29–36

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Azarbad L et al (2010) Psychosocial correlates of binge eating in Hispanic, African American, and Caucasian women presenting for bariatric surgery. Eat Behav 11(2):79–84

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Ivezaj V et al (2010) The relationship between binge eating and weight status on depression, anxiety, and body image among a diverse college sample: a focus on Bi/Multiracial women. Eat Behav 11(1):18–24

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Lovejoy M (2001) Disturbances in the social body; differences in body image and eating problems among African American and White women. Gender Soc 15(2):239–261

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Marcus MD, Wing RR, Hopkins J (1988) Obese binge eaters: affect, cognitions and response to behavioral weight control. J Consult Clin Psychol 56:433–439

    Google Scholar 

  17. Marques L et al (2011) Comparative prevalence, correlates of impairment, and service utilization for eating disorders across US ethnic groups: implications for reducing ethnic disparities in health care access for eating disorders. Int J Eat Disord 44(5):412–420

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. American Psychiatric Association (1994) Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. DSM-IV, 4th edn

  19. Fitzgibbon ML et al (1998) Correlates of binge eating in Hispanic, black, and white women. Int J Eat Disord 24(1):43–52

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Mazzeo SE, Saunders R, Mitchell KS (2005) Binge eating among African American and Caucasian bariatric surgery candidates. Eat Behav 6(3):189–196

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Meneghini LF, Spadola J, Florez H (2006) Prevalence and associations of binge eating disorder in a multiethnic population with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care 29(12):2760

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Mitchell KS, Mazzeo SE (2004) Binge eating and psychological distress in ethnically diverse undergraduate men and women. Eat Behav 5(2):157–169

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Pinaquy S et al (2003) Emotional eating, alexithymia, and binge-eating disorder in obese women. Obes Res 11(2):195–201

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Spoor ST et al (2006) Relations between dietary restraint, depressive symptoms, and binge eating: a longitudinal study. Int J Eat Disord 39(8):700–707

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Wardle J, Waller J, Rapoport L (2001) Body dissatisfaction and binge eating in obese women: the role of restraint and depression. Obes Res 9(12):778–787

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Crowther JH et al (2001) The role of daily hassles in binge eating. Int J Eat Disord 29(4):449–454

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Hansel SL, Wittrock DA (1997) Appraisal and coping strategies in stressful situations: a comparison of individuals who binge eat and controls. Int J Eat Disord 21(1):89–93

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Wolff GE et al (2000) Differences in daily stress, mood, coping, and eating behavior in binge eating and nonbinge eating college women. Addict Behav 25(2):205–216

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Gluck ME (2006) Stress response and binge eating disorder. Appetite 46(1):26–30

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Gluck ME, Geliebter A, Lorence M (2004) Cortisol stress response is positively correlated with central obesity in obese women with binge eating disorder (BED) before and after cognitive-behavioral treatment. Ann N Y Acad Sci 1032:202–207

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Thoits PA (2010) Stress and health: major findings and policy implications. J Health Soc Behav 51(Suppl):S41–S53

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Harrington EF et al (2006) The relationships among trauma, stress, ethnicity, and binge eating. Cultur Divers Ethnic Minor Psychol 12(2):212–229

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Frankenfield DC et al (2001) Limits of body mass index to detect obesity and predict body composition. Nutrition 17(1):26–30

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Peltz G et al (2010) The role of fat mass index in determining obesity. Am J Hum Biol 22(5):639–647

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Romero-Corral A et al (2008) Accuracy of body mass index in diagnosing obesity in the adult general population. Int J Obes (Lond) 32(6):959–966

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Okorodudu DO et al (2010) Diagnostic performance of body mass index to identify obesity as defined by body adiposity: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Int J Obes (Lond) 34(5):791–799

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. O’Connor DP et al (2010) Generalized equations for estimating DXA percent fat of diverse young women and men: the TIGER study. Med Sci Sports Exerc 42(10):1959–1965

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. Lopez Y 3rd et al (2011) Analysis of body composition methods in a community sample of African American women. Women Health 51(8):709–723

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. Kueht ML, McFarlin BK, Lee RE (2009) Severely obese have greater LPS-stimulated TNF-alpha production than normal weight African-American women. Obesity (Silver Spring) 17(3):447–451

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. Layne CS et al (2011) Development of an ecologically valid approach to assess moderate physical activity using accelerometry in community dwelling women of color: a cross-sectional study. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act 8:21

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  41. Lee RE et al (2011) Neighborhood and PA: neighborhood factors and physical activity in African American public housing residents. J Phys Act Health 8(Suppl 1):S83–S90

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  42. Lee RE et al (2011) Multiple measures of physical activity, dietary habits and weight status in African American and Hispanic or Latina women. J Community Health 36(6):1011–1023

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  43. Lee RE et al (2011) Health is power: an ecological, theory-based health intervention for women of color. Contemp Clin Trials 32(6):916–923

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  44. Radloff LS (1977) The CES-D scale: a self-report depression scale for research in the general population. Appl Psychol Meas 1:385–401

    Article  Google Scholar 

  45. Brantley PJ, Jones GN, Boudreauz E (1997) The weekly stress inventory. In: Zalaquett CP (ed) Evaluating stress: a book of resources. Scarecrow Press, Lanham

    Google Scholar 

  46. Johnson F, Wardle J (2005) Dietary restraint, body dissatisfaction, and psychological distress: a prospective analysis. J Abnorm Psychol 114(1):119–125

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  47. Gormally J et al (1982) The assessment of binge eating severity among obese persons. Addict Behav 7:47–55

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  48. Timmerman GM (1999) Binge eating scale: further assessment of validity and reliability. J Appl Behav Res 4(1):1–12

    Google Scholar 

  49. Anestis MD et al (2007) The multifaceted role of distress tolerance in dysregulated eating behaviors. Int J Eat Disord 40(8):718–726

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  50. Striegel-Moore RH, Franko DL (2003) Epidemiology of binge eating disorder. Int J Eat Disord 34(Suppl):S19–S29

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  51. Taylor JY et al (2007) Prevalence of eating disorders among Blacks in the National Survey of American Life. Int J Eat Disord 40(Suppl):S10–S14

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Health and Human Performance, Texas Obesity Research Center, University of Houston, 3855 Holman Street, Garrison Gymnasium Rm 104, Houston, TX, 77204-6015, USA

    Heather J. Adamus-Leach, Penny L. Wilson, Daniel P. O’Connor, Scherezade K. Mama & Rebecca E. Lee

  2. BRG-Tulane Internal Medicine Residency Program, 3600 Florida Blvd., Baton Rouge, LA, 70806, USA

    Paula C. Rhode

Authors
  1. Heather J. Adamus-Leach
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Penny L. Wilson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Daniel P. O’Connor
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Paula C. Rhode
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Scherezade K. Mama
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Rebecca E. Lee
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rebecca E. Lee.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Adamus-Leach, H.J., Wilson, P.L., O’Connor, D.P. et al. Depression, stress and body fat are associated with binge eating in a community sample of African American and Hispanic women. Eat Weight Disord 18, 221–227 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-013-0021-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-013-0021-3

Keywords

search

Navigation