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Disordered Eating Behaviours in an Undergraduate Sample: Associations Among Gender, Body Mass Index, and Difficulties in Emotion Regulation

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Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science/Revue canadienne des sciences du comportement
Authors:
Adele Lafrance at Emotion Science
Adele Lafrance
  • Emotion Science
Stacey Kosmerly at Ottawa Institute for Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
Stacey Kosmerly
  • Ottawa Institute for Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
Sarah Mansfield-Green
Sarah Mansfield-Green
Sarah Mansfield-Green
  • This person is not on ResearchGate, or hasn't claimed this research yet.
Glenys Lafrance
Glenys Lafrance
Glenys Lafrance
  • This person is not on ResearchGate, or hasn't claimed this research yet.
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Abstract

The ability of individuals to recognise and regulate their emotions is known as emotion regulation. It is well established that difficulties in emotion regulation are associated with disordered eating. The present study explored the relationships among gender, body mass index, difficulties in emotion regulation, and disordered eating behaviours in a nonclinical sample of men and women. As part of a larger study, men (n = 85) and women (n = 165) from undergraduate university programs provided weight and height information and completed the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale and the Eating Attitudes Test. Results from regression analyses suggest that, in a nonclinical sample, gender, body mass index, and specific difficulties in emotion regulation are related to disordered eating attitudes and behaviours. With respect to dieting, some of these relationships are more complex and involve interactions between BMI and both gender and impulse control.
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Disordered Eating Behaviours in an Undergraduate Sample:
Associations Among Gender, Body Mass Index, and Difficulties
in Emotion Regulation
Adele Lafrance Robinson, Stacey Kosmerly,
and Sarah Mansfield-Green
Laurentian University
Glenys Lafrance
Avanti Insight, London, Ontario, Canada
The ability of individuals to recognise and regulate their emotions is known as emotion regulation. It is
well established that difficulties in emotion regulation are associated with disordered eating. The present
study explored the relationships among gender, body mass index, difficulties in emotion regulation, and
disordered eating behaviours in a nonclinical sample of men and women. As part of a larger study, men
(n⫽85) and women (n⫽165) from undergraduate university programs provided weight and height
information and completed the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale and the Eating Attitudes Test.
Results from regression analyses suggest that, in a nonclinical sample, gender, body mass index, and
specific difficulties in emotion regulation are related to disordered eating attitudes and behaviours. With
respect to dieting, some of these relationships are more complex and involve interactions between BMI
and both gender and impulse control.
Keywords: gender, emotion regulation, disordered eating, nonclinical
Emotions provide invaluable information necessary for human
survival (Nesse & Ellsworth, 2009). The process of recognising
and moderating the experience and expression of an emotion as
well as its evoked physiological response is referred to by some
researchers as emotion regulation (Gross & Feldman Barrett, 2011;
Izard et al., 2011). Optimal emotion regulation involves the ability
to recognise emotions and respond to them in a flexible and
adaptive way (Paivio & Pascual-Leone, 2010). Whether emotion
regulation is a distinct process or part of a more complex emo-
tional response is a topic of debate in the literature (Gross &
Feldmann Barrett, 2011). However, many researchers and clini-
cians agree that difficulties in emotion regulation are a key feature
across several mental disorders and maladaptive behaviours (see
Aldao, Nolen-Hoeksema and Schweizer [2010] for a review). In
fact, difficulties in emotion regulation are related to more than half
of all Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th
Edition (DSM–IV;American Psychiatric Association, 2000) Axis I
disorders and all of the DSM–IV Axis II disorders (Cole, Michel,
& O’Donnell Teti, 1994). Emotion regulation is also the target of
various therapies, including emotion-focused therapy (Greenberg,
2004), dialectical behaviour therapy (Lynch, Chapman, Rosenthal,
Kuo & Linehan, 2006), and enhanced cognitive behaviour therapy
for eating disorders (Fairburn, 2008).
Gratz and Roemer (2004) describe six different (yet related)
skills that are involved in emotion regulation including identifying
emotions, accurately labelling emotions, using strategies to regu-
late an emotion, accepting an emotion, engaging in goal-directed
behaviour, and exhibiting self-control while experiencing an emo-
tion. These skills can be conceptualised as encompassing the
awareness and understanding of emotion, as well as the ability to
act or inhibit a maladaptive action in response to a strong negative
emotion. According to Gratz and Roemer (2004), the relative
absence of either or all of these skills will relate to difficulties in
emotion regulation, or emotion dysregulation.
In terms of emotion regulation and maladaptive behaviours,
recent research has considered the role of gender as a possible
moderator. The disposition hypothesis suggests that men and
women respond differently to emotion, and that these differences
may be rooted in genetics and early learning (Tamres, Janicki, &
Helgeson, 2002). A recent review examined the different relation-
ships among gender, emotion regulation, and psychopathology and
found that, overall, although women report using more emotion
regulation skills than do men, emotion regulation is related to
psychopathology in both men and women (Nolen-Hoeksema,
2012). The author also concluded that too little is known regarding
the ways in which men regulate their emotions and that far more
research is needed to further understand the complex relationships
among gender, emotion regulation and psychopathology (Nolen-
Hoeksema, 2012).
Eating Behaviours and Emotion Regulation
Disordered eating patterns have been found to be related
to difficulties in emotion regulation in both clinical (Harrison,
Sullivan, Tchanturia, & Treasure, 2009;Tasca et al., 2009) and
This article was published Online First February 11, 2013.
Adele Lafrance Robinson, Stacey Kosmerly, and Sarah Mansfield-
Green, Department of Psychology, Laurentian University; Glenys
Lafrance, Avanti Insight, London Ontario, Canada.
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Adèle
Lafrance Robinson, Department of Psychology, Laurentian University,
Sudbury, Ontario, P3E 2C6. E-mail: acrobinson@laurentian.ca
Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science / Revue canadienne des sciences du comportement © 2013 Canadian Psychological Association
2014, Vol. 46, No. 3, 320–326 0008-400X/14/$12.00 DOI: 10.1037/a0031123
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... The IER framework has been applied to understand interpersonal emotion management dynamics in relation to ED psychopathology (e.g., Christensen 2019; Christensen and Haynos 2020). Additionally, empirical studies found that IP and ER have each consistently been found to be significant predictors of ED psychopathology in diverse samples (e.g., Beckers, Larsen, and Burk 2023;Cooper et al. 2014;Denning et al. 2024;Lafrance Robinson et al. 2014;Lampard, Byrne, and McLean 2011). For instance, Ambwani et al. (2014) revealed that ER difficulties and IP were significant predictors of disordered eating. ...
... Second, a significant portion of extant research employs cross-sectional designs (e.g., Barnhart, Braden, and Price 2021;Beckers, Larsen, and Burk 2023;Monteleone et al. 2023;Prefit, Cândea, and Szentagotai-Tătar 2019;Raykos, McEvoy, and Fursland 2017;Zhang et al. 2022), which are unable to characterize the temporal directionality of the relationships. Moreover, although previous studies have investigated sex/gender differences in the relationships among ER, IP, and ED psychopathology (e.g., Ambwani et al. 2014;Hayaki and Free 2016;Lafrance Robinson et al. 2014;Liang et al. 2023;Striegel-Moore et al. 2009), sex differences from the longitudinal perspective need more investigation. This is an emerging field of inquiry, and to our knowledge, the present study would be the first to explore sex differences in the longitudinal relationships among ER, IP, and ED psychopathology. ...
... From the perspective of empirical research, these findings further confirmed that bridge nodes differed by sex groups from the longitudinal perspective, findings that align with previous cross-sectional studies (Ambwani et al. 2014;Lafrance Robinson et al. 2014). One plausible reason is that the onset of EDs differs between boys and girls during the observed period: girls typically maintain a stable, unhealthy condition linked to weight/shape dissatisfaction, while boys start to show ED symptoms driven by emotional dysfunction. ...
A Longitudinal Network Analysis of Emotion Regulation, Interpersonal Problems, and Eating Disorder Psychopathology in Chinese Adolescents
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Objective The present longitudinal study examined sex‐specific, symptom‐level relationships among emotion regulation (ER), interpersonal problems (IP), and eating disorder (ED) psychopathology in a large sample of Chinese adolescents. Method Data were from a project with four waves of data collection ( N = 1540; 710 boys and 830 girls) at 6‐month intervals over 18 months. Questionnaires assessed ED psychopathology, ER, and IP at each wave of data collection. Longitudinal network analyses were conducted separately for boys and girls. Sex differences in the network structures were also examined. Results The results revealed pronounced heterogeneity in the presentation of ED psychopathology, ER, and IP across Chinese adolescent boys and girls longitudinally and intra‐individually. For example, weight/shape preoccupation in ED psychopathology and awareness in ER emerged as important nodes in the temporal network for boys. However, weight/shape preoccupation and dissatisfaction in ED psychopathology were identified as the most important nodes in the temporal network for girls. Regarding bridge strength, awareness in ER emerged as the node with the highest connectivity in the temporal network for boys. At the same time, weight/shape dissatisfaction in ED psychopathology was the node with the highest connectivity for girls. Discussion The current study extended network theory to better understand the longitudinal interplay among ER, IP, and ED psychopathology in Chinese adolescents and their sex differences in the importance of symptoms. Such insights may pave the way for developing targeted prevention and treatment strategies for adolescent boys and girls in China.
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... Furthermore, studies conducted among undergraduate men may also shed light on the unique relationship between body image concerns and several difficulties in emotion regulation. Despite some variations, these studies supported that non-acceptance of one's emotions, impulsivity in response to one's emotions, and low confidence in one's ability to cope with negative emotions had a unique association with body image concerns (Cunningham et al., 2018;Lavender & Anderson, 2010;Robinson et al., 2014). However, given the extensive transformations associated with body image and emotion regulation taking place throughout adolescence (Ricciardelli & Yager, 2016;Riediger & Klipker, 2015;Zeman et al., 2006), these results need to be replicated among samples of adolescent boys. ...
... Interestingly, participants also reported lower difficulties with respect to these two facets of emotion regulation. Similar findings were reported in other samples of adolescent boys (Hansson et al., 2016) and college men (Cunningham et al., 2018;Lavender & Anderson, 2010;Robinson et al., 2014). However, only studies among the latter population controlled for all other difficulties in emotion regulation included in Gratz and Roemer's well-established model (2004). ...
Association Between Emotion Regulation and Body Image Concerns in a Group of Adolescent Boys: Interaction With the Internalization of the Sociocultural Body Ideal
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This study examined the relationships of sociocultural body ideal internalization, difficulties in emotion regulation, and their interaction with body image concerns in a group of 423 adolescent boys. Participants were aged from 12 to 17 years old and completed multiple self-reported questionnaires. Regression analyses and latent moderation structural equations were performed. Both variables were positively correlated with body dissatisfaction, drive for muscularity, restrained eating, and emotional eating. The internalization of men’s sociocultural body ideal moderated the relationships between multiple difficulties in emotion regulation and some body image concerns. These results are in line with findings of other studies among adult men and women, and dominant theories of body image concerns, which have been derived especially from women populations.
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... For post hoc pairwise comparisons in one-way ANOVA, Tukey's honestly significant difference (HSD) was used to control the Type I error. Finally, by using the never IF at T1 as the reference group, cross-lagged regressions were employed to further analyze the relationships between current and past IF engagement at T1 and study variables at T2, after adjusting for study variables at T1 as well as three demographic covariates at T1 with previous research supporting their relations with eating behaviors(i.e., gender, age, and BMI;Elsner 2002;Herman and Polivy 2010;Lafrance Robinson et al. 2014). Based on Orth et al. ...
Engagement in Intermittent Fasting is Prospectively Associated With Higher Body Mass Index, Higher Eating Disorder Psychopathology, and Lower Intuitive Eating in Chinese Adults
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Objective: This study examined cross-sectional and longitudinal associations of intermittent fasting (IF) engagement with body mass index (BMI), both thinness-oriented and muscularity-oriented eating disorder (ED) psychopathology, eating-related psychological impairment, and intuitive eating. Method: Using a longitudinal design, 491 Chinese adults (M age = 30.33 years, SD = 7.89) provided data regarding BMI, IF status, and eating variables at baseline (T1) and 8-month (T2) follow-up. One-way ANOVA was used to explore cross-sectional associations between IF engagement at T1 and study variables (i.e., BMI and eating variables) at T1. Cross-lagged regression analyses were used to examine the longitudinal associations between IF engagement at T1 and study variables at T2, after adjusting for covariates and study variables at T1. Results: Cross-sectionally, compared with participants who never engaged in IF at T1, those with current or past engagement in IF at T1 exhibited significantly higher BMI, ED psychopathology, eating-related psychosocial impairment, and lower intuitive eating at T1. Longitudinally, relative to never engagement in IF at T1, both current and past engagement in IF at T1 were associated with higher ED psychopathology and greater eating-related psychosocial impairment at T2. Also, relative to never engagement in IF at T1, past engagement in IF at T1 was associated with higher BMI at T2 and lower unconditional permission to eat as a facet of intuitive eating at T2. Discussion: The findings challenge the perception of IF as an effective approach for weight loss and also suggest IF might have enduring adverse impacts on eating behaviors, similar to traditional forms of dieting.
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... Moreover, the number of male participants was limited, preventing comparison between the two sexes. For example, the previous studies on sex differences regarding BE (Striegel-Moore et al. 2009;Saccaro et al. 2023) and emotion dysregulation (Ritschel et al. 2015;Lafrance Robinson et al. 2014) showed mixed results. Therefore, future research is suggested to consider sex in examining the variables and pathways presented in the current research. ...
Verbal Weight‐Related Abuse and Binge Eating Behavior: The Mediating Role of Attentional Bias to Threat Cues and Difficulties in Emotion Regulation
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Introduction Previous studies investigated the impact of weight‐related abuse (WRA) on eating pathology. However, the circumstances of such an effect are still unclear. Our study aimed to examine the relationship between verbal WRA and binge eating (BE) behavior via attentional bias (AB) to threat cues and difficulties in emotion regulation. Method We conducted a parallel mediation model. On the basis of the purposive sampling method, 183 individuals with obesity and overweight (70.5% female and 28.4% male; Meanage = 32.78), from February to June 2019, were recruited from a nutrition clinic in Tehran. The participants completed the BE scale (BES), the weight‐related abuse questionnaire (WRAQ), the difficulties in emotion regulation scale (DERS), and the dot probe task (DPT). Results AB to threat cues had a significantly negative association with verbal WRA and BE. Difficulties in emotion regulation showed a significant positive association with verbal WRA and BE. The parallel mediation model showed a direct effect of verbal WRA on BE. Moreover, the bootstrap analysis revealed that difficulties in emotion regulation could mediate the association between verbal WRA and BE. Conclusions Our findings suggest that experiences of verbal WRA can contribute to cognitive bias to negative emotion, maladaptive emotion regulation strategies, and behavioral problems like BE.
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... As a documented source of physical, emotional, psychosocial, and sport-specific stress (Lopes Dos Santos et al. 2020;Chou et al. 2021), stressors can synergize, interact and have negative effects on athletes' overall health, and potentially athletic performance (Vanheest et al. 2014;Logue et al. 2018). Consequently, athletes may exhibit maladaptive coping and emotion regulation strategies that include DE attitudes or behaviors in an attempt to manage their stress experience (Lafrance Robinson et al. 2014). These sportspecific stressors can have a cumulative effect and potentially impact the mental well-being and eating attitudes of athletes, thereby increasing susceptibility to energy deficiency and DE. ...
Interrelationships between stress, eating attitudes, and metabolism in endurance athletes across a competitive season
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A competitive sport season represents a multidimensional stressor where physical and psychological stress may render an athlete susceptible to energy deficiency (ED). Downstream effects of ED can include a reduction in measured-to-predicted resting metabolic rate (RMRratio), indicating metabolic compensation. A pathway linking stress, eating attitudes, and metabolic compensation has not been explored. To test if sport-specific stress is associated with eating attitudes and metabolism in endurance athletes (18–22 years) at different phases of a competitive season, we assessed two groups of athletes: 26 swimmers (15 female and 11 male) during peak season (PEAK), and 26 runners (female) across pre- (PRE) and off-season (OFF). Stress (RESTQ-52), eating attitudes (cognitive restraint (CR), drive for muscularity (DM), and body dissatisfaction), and metabolism (RMRratio) were assessed. In PRE, sport-specific stress and CR were negatively correlated with RMRratio (R = −0.58; p < 0.05, and R = −0.57; p < 0.05, respectively). In PEAK, sport-specific stress and DM were negatively correlated with RMRratio (R = −0.64; p < 0.05; R = −0.40; p < 0.05, respectively). DM was positively related to sport-specific stress (R = 0.55; p < 0.05). During OFF, there was no relation between RMRratio and sport-specific stress. In runners, there was a change in stress from PRE-to-OFF with highest reported stress during PRE (p < 0.05) versus OFF. Regression analyses revealed that sport-specific stress and CR were significant predictors of RMRratio during PRE and PEAK (p < 0.05), but not OFF (p > 0.05). Associations between stress, eating attitudes, and metabolic compensation in endurance athletes during PRE and PEAK season suggest that during heavier training, metabolic compensation may be linked to upstream eating attitudes associated with sport-stressors.
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... Unique characteristics for boys are suggested to be weight gain behaviours driven by an ideal body characterized by muscularity and leanness [26,27], which conflicts with questions in the instruments that describe perceptions specific to girls such as "I think that my thighs are too large" or "hips are too big" [28]. For this reason, gender should be considered an important factor when examining the maintenance and aetiology of disordered eating [25,29], especially in non-clinical settings [30]. Due to the lack of valid instruments for measuring boys' disordered eating, as the diagnostic criteria assume that the same symptoms apply to both genders [32], research on adolescent boys is scarce [7], with figures being underestimated [31] and potentially skewed [25]. ...
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