Impact Of Family Environment On Disordered Eating In Overweight Adolescents

摘要

Research has shown that overweight and disordered eating are often comorbid especially in the context of poor family functioning and negative affect. The role of family structure remains largely unexplored, and no single study has examined all of these variables at once. Overweight adolescents (N = 145) voluntarily enrolled in a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled safety and efficacy trial for weight-loss medication. Each participant completed a physical examination, the Family Environment Scale, the Children's Depression Inventory, and the Eating Disorder Examination during baseline assessment. The majority of participants were African-American (59.3%) females (66.2%) from non-intact homes (51.0%). Family structure was not related to any other variable in the study. Family environment was inversely related to negative affect in males, and negative affect was directly associated with disordered eating behaviors and cognitions in females. Implications for prevention of pediatric overweight and disordered eating are discussed.