Janis H. Crowther

The reliability of the Eating Disorder Examination-Self-Report Questionnaire Version (EDE-Q).

OBJECTIVE This research investigated the internal consistency and test-retest reliability of the Eating Disorder Examination-Self-Report Questionnaire Version (EDE-Q), a 41-item measure adapted from the Eating Disorder Examination (EDE). The EDE is a structured clinical interview assessing the key behavioral features and associated psychopathology of eating disorders. RESULTS Results indicated excellent internal consistency and 2-week test-retest reliability for the four subscales of the EDE-Q: Restraint, Weight Concern, Shape Concern, and Eating Concern. There was somewhat less stability in the items measuring the occurrence and frequency of the key behavioral features of eating disorders. CONCLUSIONS Overall, results support the psychometric adequacy of the EDE-Q.

Social Comparison as a Predictor of Body Dissatisfaction: A Meta-Analytic Review

The relationship between social comparison and body dissatisfaction was examined using meta-analysis. Several demographic and methodological variables were examined as potential moderators. Data from 156 studies (189 effect sizes) showed that social comparison was related to higher levels of body dissatisfaction. The effect for social comparison and body dissatisfaction was stronger for women than men and inversely related to age. This effect was stronger when social comparison was directly measured rather than inferred. No differences emerged for the presence of eating psychopathology, study design, or object of comparison. Results confirm theory and research suggesting that comparing oneself unfavorably to another on the basis of appearance may lead to dissatisfaction with ones own appearance. Moderator variables refine our understanding of the social comparison-body dissatisfaction relationship. These constructs and their relationship should be explored further in future studies.

Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q): Norms for Undergraduate Women

OBJECTIVE This research presents normative data on the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (Fairburn and Beglin, Int J Eat Disorder, 16, 363-370, 1994) (EDE-Q) for samples of undergraduate women in the United States. METHOD College women (N = 723), ages 18-25, completed the EDE-Q as part of a larger assessment battery. RESULTS Average scores, standard deviations, and percentile ranks for the raw Restraint, Eating Concern, Shape Concern, and Weight Concern subscales and the Global score are reported. Data on the occurrence of objective and subjective bulimic episodes and compensatory behaviors are presented. CONCLUSION These results are helpful for clinicians and researchers in the interpretation of the EDE-Q scores of undergraduate women in the United States. Comparisons are drawn between the results for this sample and those of a United Kingdom sample of young adolescent females, an Australian community sample, and an Australian community age-matched sample.

Affective and cognitive antecedents to eating episodes in bulimia and binge eating

The present study investigated seven antecedents to the binge-purge cycle proposed by Orleans and Barnett (1984), including restraint, stress, mood, thoughts of food, fatigue, hunger, and dichotomous cognitions. For 1 week, 19 bulimics, 15 binge eaters, and 20 normal control subjects recorded detailed information about these antecedent conditions and the types and quantities of food consumed for each eating episode. Results indicated that prior to their binge episodes, bulimics reported significantly greater stress, preoccupation with food, and negative mood than binge eaters reported prior to their binges and normal controls reported prior to all of their eating episodes. Both bulimics and binge eaters reported greater dichotomous cognitions prior to binge episodes than normal controls experienced prior to all of their eating episodes. Comparisons of the antecedents to eating episodes which bulimics and binge eaters regarded as nonbinge episodes with all eating episodes of the control group indicated that although bulimics and binge eaters experienced significantly greater negative moods than normal controls prior to their nonbinge episodes, only bulimics experienced significantly greater dichotomous cognitions prior to these eating episodes. Theoretical and clinical implications of these findings are discussed.

Changes in ecological momentary assessment reported affect associated with episodes of nonsuicidal self-injury.

Although emotion regulation deficits have been frequently implicated in the incidence of nonsuicidal self-injurious behavior (NSSI), no research to date has examined in vivo change of affect associated with real-world NSSI behavior. The present study employed Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) to assess change in affect associated with episodes of experienced NSSI in a sample of 36 college students with a self-reported history of NSSI. Results indicated that individuals who reported NSSI behavior over the course of the study experienced increases in negative affect prior to an episode of NSSI that peaked during the episode and faded gradually in the hours following the episode, with affect change roughly approximating a quadratic curve. These changes in affect were detected only at times in which individuals engaged in NSSI and were absent for individuals who did not report NSSI over the course of the study. Moreover, changes in negative affect associated with NSSI were, on average, detectable hours prior to the NSSI event. These findings suggest that episodes of NSSI may be predicted through a careful examination of affect change long before actual NSSI behavior occurs.

The prevalence of bulimia and binge eating in adolescent girls

This research investigated the prevalence of bulimia and binge eating in 363 adolescent girls in the ninth through twelfth grade (X age = 16.0 years). Substantial proportions of these girls reported episodes of binge eating (46.0%) and acknowledged the use of self-induced vomiting (11.2%), laxatives (4.7%), and fasting (36.4%) as methods to control their weight. While 7.7% of the girls met the DSM-III criteria for the diagnosis of bulimia, the prevalence rate decreases to 2.8% when these criteria are modified to require the presence of at least weekly binging and purging only via self-induced vomiting or the use of laxatives. An additional 4.4% of the girls engaged in “problematic” binge eating. Comparisons with previous research are offered and diagnostic issues discussed.

The effects of exercise on body satisfaction and affect.

This research used ecological momentary assessment to examine the effects of exercise on state body dissatisfaction and affect in 33 undergraduate females with high trait body dissatisfaction and 28 with low trait body dissatisfaction who exercised at least three times weekly. Trait body dissatisfaction was investigated as a moderator of the effects of exercise as well as different motivations for exercise. Results indicated all participants experienced lower state body dissatisfaction and negative affect and greater positive affect post-exercise. Trait body dissatisfaction moderated the association between motivations and exercise effects. Appearance and weight motivations were related to higher state body dissatisfaction for all individuals. Fitness and health motivations were related to higher state body dissatisfaction for high trait body dissatisfied individuals and lower state body dissatisfaction for low trait body dissatisfied individuals. Thus, although exercise has positive effects on body dissatisfaction and affect for high frequency exercisers, their exercise motivations impact these effects.

Family health psychology.

Family health psychology - an introduction and overview. Part 1 Families and prevention: health cognitions in families the role of families in the prevention of physical and mental health problems preventive intervention and family coping with a childs life - threatening or terminal illness. Part 2 Family systems, social ecology and chronic pediatric illness - conceptual, methodological and intervention issues: couples coping with chronic and catastrophic illness physical and psychological illness as correlates of marital disruption. Part 3 Families and intervention: integrating theroy and practice in psychological intervention with families of children with a chronic illness family systems medicine - new opportunities for psychologists family therapy in the context of AIDS.

Psychological and behavioral correlates of the SATAQ-3 with males.

The current study used confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to investigate the factor structure of a revised version of the Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire (SATAQ-3) with a sample of undergraduate males. In addition to completing the SATAQ-3, participants completed various measures pertaining to body image, behavioral, and psychological constructs to examine concurrent and discriminant validity. CFA results indicated that the four factors of the SATAQ-3, Information, Pressures, Internalization-General, and Internalization-Athlete, represented the data well and better than an alternative 3-factor structure that combined the two Internalization subscales. All four factors demonstrated excellent concurrent and discriminant validity. Findings from this study support use of a slightly modified version of the SATAQ-3 with males. The present results also support the continued investigation of media influences as multidimensional constructs important to male body image.

Variability in self-esteem, moods, shame, and guilt in women who binge

Variability in self-esteem, moods, shame, and guilt was explored in a sample of 78 women (37 who binge and 41 who do not binge) attending a large university. Results indicated that women who binge reported significantly greater fluctuations than women who do not binge in state self-esteem, negative affect, shame, and guilt. In addition, contrary to the hypotheses, self-esteem and positive affect increased prior to all eating episodes for women, including binge episodes for women who binge. Women who binge also reported lower levels of state self-esteem and positive affect, and higher levels of shame and guilt prior to binges than controls prior to their eating episodes. Theoretical implications of the differential role of shame and guilt are considered. In addition, results are discussed in terms of support for a self-nurturance explanation of binge eating in nonclinical samples of women.