Eric Stice

Risk factors for binge eating onset in adolescent girls: a 2-year prospective investigation.

Because little is known about the predictors of binge eating (a risk factor for obesity), a set of putative risk factors for binge eating was investigated in a longitudinal study of adolescent girls. Results verified that binge eating predicted obesity onset. Elevated dieting, pressure to be thin, modeling of eating disturbances, appearance overvaluation, body dissatisfaction, depressive symptoms, emotional eating, body mass, and low self-esteem and social support predicted binge eating onset with 92% accuracy. Classification tree analysis revealed an interaction between appearance overvaluation, body mass, dieting, and depressive symptoms, suggesting qualitatively different pathways to binge eating and identifying subgroups at extreme risk for this outcome. Results support the assertion that these psychosocial and biological factors increase risk for binge eating.

Predicting onset and cessation of bulimic behaviors during adolescence : A longitudinal grouping analysis

Because research has not examined the predictors of the onset and cessation of specific bulimic behaviors, the present study tested whether a series of putative risk factors predicted the onset and cessation of binge eating and compensatory behaviors over a 9-month period in a community sample of female adolescents (N = 218). Greater perceived social pressure to be thin, internalization of the thin-ideal, body dissatisfaction, dieting, and negative affect predicted the onset of binge eating and compensatory behaviors. Further, lower thin-ideal internalization, body dissatisfaction, and dieting predicted the cessation of these behaviors. Multivariate analyses suggested that this set of risk factors predicted the onset of binge eating and compensatory behaviors, but showed weaker relations to the cessation of these behaviors. Results support the assertion that these variables constitute risk factors for the development of bulimic behaviors, but suggest that somewhat different processes may serve to maintain bulimic symptoms.

Body-image and eating disturbances predict onset of depression among female adolescents: a longitudinal study.

This study examined data from a 4-year school-based longitudinal study (n = 1,124), to test whether the increase in major depression that occurs among girls during adolescence may be partially explained by the body-image and eating disturbances that emerge after puberty. Elevated body dissatisfaction, dietary restraint, and bulimic symptoms at study entry predicted onset of subsequent depression among initially nondepressed youth in bivariate analyses controlling for initial depressive symptoms. Although the unique effect for body dissatisfaction was not significant in the multivariate model, this set of risk factors was able to fairly accurately foretell which girls would go on to develop major depression. Results were consistent with the assertion that the body-image- and eating-related risk factors that emerge after puberty might contribute to the elevated rates of depression for adolescent girls.

The relation between adolescent alcohol use and peer alcohol use: a longitudinal random coefficients model

Longitudinal latent growth models were used to examine the relation between changes in adolescent alcohol use and changes in peer alcohol use over a 3-year period in a community-based sample of 363 Hispanic and Caucasian adolescents. Both adolescent alcohol use and peer alcohol use were characterized by positive linear growth over time. Not only were changes in adolescent alcohol use closely related to changes in peer alcohol use, but the initial status on peer alcohol use was predictive of later increases in adolescent alcohol use and the initial status on adolescent alcohol use was predictive of later increases in peer alcohol use. These results are inconsistent with models positing solely unidirectional effects between adolescent alcohol use and peer alcohol use.

The dual pathway model differentiates bulimics, subclinical bulimics, and controls : Testing the continuity hypothesis

Although research suggests that the dual pathway model of bulimia predicts bulimic symptoms, it has not been applied to diagnostic levels of this disorder. This study first tested whether bulimics differed from controls on the variables composing this etiologic model. Second, because there is some debate as to whether the predictors of subclinical and clinical levels of eating pathology differ, this study also tested whether the variables composing the dual pathway model were able to differentiate subclinical bulimics from both controls and bulimics. Female bulimics, subclinical bulimics, and controls were compared on body mass, ideal-body internalization, body dissatisfaction, dietary restraint, perceived pressure to be thin, and negative affect. Bulimics reported elevated scores on all but one of the variables composing the dual pathway model, and subclinical bulimics differed from both controls and bulimics on most constructs. A discriminant function analysis indicated that the three groups lay along a single continuum. Results suggest that the dual pathway model applies to diagnostic levels of bulimia and support the continuity perspective of eating pathology.

Age of Onset for Binge Eating and Purging During Late Adolescence A 4-Year Survival Analysis

This prospective study examined age of onset for binge eating and purging among girls during late adolescence and tested whether dieting and negative affectivity predicted these outcomes. Of initially asymptomatic adolescents, 5% reported onset of objective binge eating, 4% reported onset of subjective binge eating, and 4% reported onset of purging. Peak risk for onset of binge eating occurred at age 16, whereas peak risk for onset of purging occurred at age 18. Adolescents more often reported onset of a single symptom rather than multiple symptoms, and symptoms were episodic. Dieting and negative affectivity predicted onset of binge eating and purging. Findings suggest that late adolescence is a high-risk period for onset of bulimic behaviors and identify modifiable risk factors for these outcomes.

Modeling of eating pathology and social reinforcement of the thin-ideal predict onset of bulimic symptoms.

Although social influences are thought to promote bulimic pathology, little research has examined the effects of multiple socialization agents, or considered both modeling and social reinforcement processes. Accordingly, these two studies tested whether social reinforcement of the thin-ideal, and modeling of abnormal eating behavior by family, peers, and the media, (i) correlated with bulimic symptoms in a sample of young adult female (N = 114) and (ii) predicted the onset of bulimic behavior in a sample of adolescent females (N = 218). Social reinforcement of the thin-ideal by family, peers, and media was correlated with bulimic symptoms; family and peer social reinforcement prospectively predicted the onset of binge eating and purging. Family and peer, but not media, modeling of abnormal eating behavior was associated with concurrent bulimic symptoms, and predicted the onset of binge eating and purging. Results suggest that both social reinforcement and modeling processes may promote bulimic pathology, but imply that the effects are limited to family and peer influences.

Risk factors for the emergence of childhood eating disturbances: A five-year prospective study

OBJECTIVE Research suggests that eating problems are often present by preadolescence, yet little is known about the age of emergence of these early eating disturbances or risk factors for these behaviors. Thus, we investigated the timing of onset of disturbed eating during childhood and the predictors of these behaviors. METHOD These aims were addressed by following a sample of children and their parents (N = 216) for the first 5 years of the childrens lives. RESULTS Data suggested that the risk for emergence of inhibited eating, secretive eating, overeating, and vomiting increased annually through age 5. Maternal body dissatisfaction, internalization of the thin-ideal, dieting, bulimic symptoms, and maternal and paternal body mass prospectively predicted the emergence of childhood eating disturbances. Infant feeding behavior and body mass during the first month of life also predicted the emergence of these behaviors. DISCUSSION Results suggest that eating disturbances emerge during childhood and may be a function of certain parental and child characteristics.

A Longitudinal Study of the Interactive Effects of Impulsivity and Anger on Adolescent Problem Behavior.

The current study examined the moderating effect of impulsivity on the relation between anger and adolescent problem behavior (substance use and delinquency). High levels of anger were associated with delinquency for impulsive, but not for nonimpulsive adolescents in cross-sectional analyses. This moderating effect was not supported for substance use. Gender-moderated links between temperament and problem behavior showed that anger predicted substance use for females only, and impulsivity was more strongly associated with delinquency for males. In prospective analyses, both anger and impulsivity predicted adolescent problem behavior, but impulsivity did not moderate the effects of anger. Overall, results provided partial support for the notion that temperament dimensions operate interactively to promote poor adjustment.

Negative affect moderates the relation between dieting and binge eating.

OBJECTIVE Although laboratory experiments suggest that negative affect inductions potentiate the relation between dieting and disinhibited eating, little research has tested whether this finding generalizes to binge eating in the natural environment. Thus, we assessed whether negative affect moderated the relation between dieting and binge eating in a passive-observational study. METHOD This aim was addressed with longitudinal data from a community sample of adolescents (N = 631). RESULTS For females, dieting and negative affect predicted binge eating in cross-sectional and prospective analyses, but negative affect potentiated the relation between dieting and binge eating only in the cross-sectional analyses. Similar, but attenuated results were found for males. DISCUSSION Findings converge with those from laboratory studies in suggesting that negative affect moderates the relation between dieting and binge eating, but also imply that dieting and negative affect constitute independent risk factors for binge eating. The lack of prospective effects may suggest that the interactive relations have a short time lag or are difficult to detect prospectively.