title: Depression, stress and body fat are associated with binge eating in a community sample of African American and Hispanic women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among depressive symptoms, stress and severity of binge eating symptoms in a community sample of African American and Hispanic or Latina women.
  
  
  METHODS
  Women (African American, n = 127; Hispanic or Latina, n = 44) completed measures of body composition, stress, depression, and binge eating.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Scores on a depressive symptom scale indicated that 24.0 % of participants exhibited clinically significant levels of depressive symptoms. Mean binge eating scores were below the threshold for clinically diagnosed binge eating (12.99 ± 7.90). Mean stressful event scores were 25.86 ± 14.26 and the average stress impact score was 78.36 ± 55.43. Linear regression models found that body composition, stress impact score, and being classified as having clinically significant levels of depression were associated with severity of binge eating symptoms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Higher levels of percent body fat, a CES-D score ≥16 and higher WSI-Impact scores were associated with greater severity of binge eating symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health and Human Performance, Texas Obesity Research Center, University of Houston, 3855 Holman Street, Garrison Gymnasium Rm 104, Houston, TX, 77204-6015, USA.
authors.forename: Heather J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Adamus-Leach
authors.forename: Penny L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: Daniel P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: O'Connor
authors.forename: Paula C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Rhode
authors.forename: Scherezade K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Mama
authors.forename: Rebecca E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D050154:Adiposity; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology*; D002032:Bulimia / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*; D014930:Women / Q000523:psychology*