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Associations between Family Weight-Based Teasing, Eating Pathology, and Psychosocial Functioning among Adolescent Military Dependents.

ABSTRACT: Weight-based teasing (WBT) by family members is commonly reported among youth and is associated with eating and mood-related psychopathology. Military dependents may be particularly vulnerable to family WBT and its sequelae due to factors associated with their parents' careers, such as weight and fitness standards and an emphasis on maintaining one's military appearance; however, no studies to date have examined family WBT and its associations within this population. Therefore, adolescent military dependents at-risk for adult obesity and binge-eating disorder were studied prior to entry in a weight gain prevention trial. Youth completed items from the Weight-Based Victimization Scale (to assess WBT by parents and/or siblings) and measures of psychosocial functioning, including the Beck Depression Inventory-II, The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and the Social Adjustment Scale. Eating pathology was assessed via the Eating Disorder Examination interview, and height and fasting weight were measured to calculate BMIz. Analyses of covariance, adjusting for relevant covariates including BMIz, were conducted to assess relationships between family WBT, eating pathology, and psychosocial functioning. Participants were 128 adolescent military dependents (mean age: 14.35 years old, 54% female, 42% non-Hispanic White, mean BMIz: 1.95). Nearly half the sample (47.7%) reported family WBT. Adjusting for covariates, including BMIz, family WBT was associated with greater eating pathology, poorer social functioning and self-esteem, and more depressive symptoms (ps ? 0.02). Among military dependents with overweight and obesity, family WBT is prevalent and may be linked with eating pathology and impaired psychosocial functioning; prospective research is needed to elucidate the temporal nature of these associations.

SUBMITTER: Pearlman AT

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6982056 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Associations between Family Weight-Based Teasing, Eating Pathology, and Psychosocial Functioning among Adolescent Military Dependents.

Pearlman Arielle T AT Schvey Natasha A NA Neyland M K Higgins MKH Solomon Senait S Hennigan Kathrin K Schindler Rachel R Leu William W Gillmore Dakota D Shank Lisa M LM Lavender Jason M JM Burke Natasha L NL Wilfley Denise E DE Sbrocco Tracy T Stephens Mark M Jorgensen Sarah S Klein David D Quinlan Jeffrey J Tanofsky-Kraff Marian M

International journal of environmental research and public health 20191218 1

Weight-based teasing (WBT) by family members is commonly reported among youth and is associated with eating and mood-related psychopathology. Military dependents may be particularly vulnerable to family WBT and its sequelae due to factors associated with their parents' careers, such as weight and fitness standards and an emphasis on maintaining one's military appearance; however, no studies to date have examined family WBT and its associations within this population. Therefore, adolescent milita ...[more]

PMID: 31861426

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Project description:PurposeEvidence suggests that difficulties identifying and describing one's feelings, core components of alexithymia, are associated with attitudinal and behavioral symptoms of disordered eating; depressive symptoms also may underlie these associations. Specifically, research indicates that alexithymia is positively related to depressive symptoms, which in turn may promote both disordered-eating attitudes and certain disinhibited-eating behaviors (e.g., emotional eating). Findings also suggest that military-dependent youth with high weight may exhibit elevated depressive symptoms and disordered eating. As such, understanding associations among alexithymia, depressive symptoms, and disordered eating is particularly relevant for this vulnerable population.MethodsWe examined 149 adolescent military dependents (14.4 ± 1.6y; 55.0% female; 20.0% non-Hispanic Black; BMIz: 1.9 ± 0.4) at high risk for binge-eating disorder and obesity in adulthood. Participants completed questionnaires assessing two components of alexithymia (difficulty identifying feelings [DIF] and difficulty describing feelings [DDF]), depressive symptoms, emotional eating, and trait anxiety; disordered-eating attitudes were assessed via semi-structured interview.ResultsA series of regression-based models examined indirect relationships of DIF and DDF with disordered-eating attitudes and emotional eating through depressive symptoms. Bootstrapped 95% confidence intervals revealed a significant indirect path from each of the alexithymia components to disordered-eating attitudes via depressive symptoms; indirect paths to emotional eating were non-significant.ConclusionResults support the salience of depressive symptoms in the relationship between alexithymia and disordered-eating attitudes. Future research should utilize prospective designs and explore direct and indirect associations of alexithymia with other disordered-eating behaviors.Level of evidenceLevel III, evidence obtained from a well-designed cohort study.

Project description:ObjectiveAdolescent military dependents may be at higher risk for psychosocial stressors and disordered eating compared with civilian youths, but the mechanisms underlying these risks are unclear. Interpersonal theory proposes that difficult relationships lead to negative affect, thereby promoting emotional eating, which has been linked to and predictive of disordered eating. The interpersonal model may have particular relevance for understanding disordered eating among adolescent military dependents, given the unique stressors related to their parents' careers. This study aimed to examine the premise of the interpersonal model (that negative emotions mediate the association between multiple aspects of social functioning and emotional eating) among a cohort of adolescent military dependents.MethodsMilitary dependents (N=136; 56% female, mean±SD age=14±2 years, body mass index adjusted for age and sex [BMIz]=2.0±0.4) at risk for adult obesity and binge eating disorder, as indicated by reported loss-of-control eating and/or anxiety symptoms, were assessed prior to participation in a study of excess weight-gain prevention. Bootstrapped mediation analyses were conducted to examine depressive symptoms as a potential mediator of the relationship between social functioning and emotional eating. Analyses were adjusted for age, sex, race-ethnicity, BMIz, and presence of reported loss-of-control eating and anxiety.ResultsDepressive symptoms were a significant mediator of the relationship between multiple domains of social functioning, including loneliness, social adjustment related to family and friends, attachment to father and peers, and emotional eating (p<0.05).ConclusionsThe interpersonal model may contribute to our understanding of excess weight gain and binge eating disorder among adolescent military dependents. Prospective data are needed to determine the utility of interpersonal theory in predicting treatment response and outcomes among this population.

Dataset Information

Associations between Family Weight-Based Teasing, Eating Pathology, and Psychosocial Functioning among Adolescent Military Dependents.

Publications

Associations between Family Weight-Based Teasing, Eating Pathology, and Psychosocial Functioning among Adolescent Military Dependents.

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