Prevalence and correlates of binge eating in white and African American adolescents.
OBJECTIVE
This study examined the prevalence and correlates of binge eating in a biracial sample of adolescent males and females.


METHODS
White and African American students in Grades 6-12 (N=822) completed measures of social economic status (SES), body mass index (BMI), depression, current-ideal body image discrepancy, eating attitudes, dieting frequency, dietary intake, and activity level.


RESULTS
Binge eating prevalence was highest among African American boys relative to the other demographic groups: 26% African American boys, 17% African American girls, 19% white boys, 18% white girls. Binge eating rates increased with age for white participants and decreased with age for African American participants. Depressive symptoms and consumption of high-fat foods predicted binge status among adolescents, whereas SES, BMI, eating attitudes, body image discrepancy, dieting, and low activity level failed to add predictive value.


CONCLUSIONS
The observation of developmental differences in binging between whites and African Americans corresponds to their physical maturational divergence. These findings underscore the need for population-based surveys that sample binge eating across age, gender, and ethnicity.
Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, 2500 North State Street, Jackson, MS 39216-4505, USA. wjohnson@psychiatry.umsmed.edu
William G
WG
Johnson
Kelly J
KJ
Rohan
Ashlee A
AA
Kirk