Premium
Behavioral, emotional, and situational context of purging episodes in anorexia nervosa
Author(s) -
Goldschmidt Andrea B.,
Accurso Erin C.,
SchreiberGregory Dean.,
Crosby Ross D.,
Cao Li,
Engel Scott G.,
Mitchell James E.,
Crow Scott J.,
Peterson Carol B.,
Le Grange Daniel,
Wonderlich Stephen A.
Publication year - 2015
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/eat.22381
Subject(s) - anorexia nervosa , psychology , context (archaeology) , situational ethics , developmental psychology , clinical psychology , eating disorders , social psychology , paleontology , biology
Objective The current study examined behavioral, emotional, and situational factors involved in purging among women with anorexia nervosa (AN). Method Women with AN ( n =118) completed a two‐week ecological momentary assessment protocol involving daily reports of eating disorder behaviors, mood, and stressful events. Generalized estimating equations examined the likelihood and context of purging following eating episodes involving both overeating and loss of control (binge eating; BE); loss of control only (LOC); overeating only (OE); and neither loss of control nor overeating (non‐pathological eating; NE). Results Relative to NE, purging was more likely to occur following BE, LOC, and OE (Wald chi‐square = 18.05; p < .001). BE was more strongly associated with subsequent purging than LOC but not OE; the latter two did not differ from one another. Negative affect predicted purging following NE (Wald chi‐square = 7.71; p = .005). Discussion Binge eating involving large amounts of food was the strongest predictor of purging in AN, which challenges the notion that loss of control is the most salient aspect of experiencing distress in bulimia nervosa and BE disorder. Parallel to findings from the BE literature, negative affect strongly predicted purging following NE. Further research should clarify the function and triggers of purging in AN. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Int J Eat Disord 2015; 48:341–344)