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A Greater role of emotional than physical or sexual abuse in predicting disordered eating attitudes: The role of mediating variables
Author(s) -
Kent Angela,
Waller Glenn,
Dagnan Dave
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
international journal of eating disorders
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.785
H-Index - 138
eISSN - 1098-108X
pISSN - 0276-3478
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1098-108x(199903)25:2<159::aid-eat5>3.0.co;2-f
Subject(s) - psychological abuse , psychopathology , psychology , sexual abuse , physical abuse , clinical psychology , anxiety , neglect , moderation , child abuse , disordered eating , eating disorders , poison control , injury prevention , psychiatry , medicine , social psychology , environmental health
Objective Previous research on the role of trauma in eating psychopathology has generally focused on reported childhood sexual abuse. There has been relatively little research addressing the full range of abusive experiences, and none considering their long‐term impact on eating. This study investigated the relationships between four forms of reported childhood abuse (physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, neglect) and unhealthy eating attitudes in adult life. Within this relationship, depression, anxiety, and dissociation were considered potential mediators, and age of onset of abuse was considered a potential moderator. Method A nonclinical sample of 236 women completed self‐report measures of abuse, eating psychopathology, and psychological function. Multiple regression analyses were used to test for associations as well as for mediating and moderating influences. Results When the intercorrelations of the different forms of reported abuse were controlled for, emotional abuse was the only form of childhood trauma that predicted unhealthy adult eating attitudes. That relationship was perfectly mediated by the women's levels of anxiety and dissociation. Age at onset of emotional abuse did not moderate these relationships. Discussion Although these results require extension to a clinical sample, the findings underscore the need to consider a history of emotional trauma as a potentially central factor in any abusive history. Treatment may depend on addressing the psychological consequences of such trauma. © 1999 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 25: 159–167, 1999.