title: The influence of impulsiveness on binge eating and problem gambling: A prospective study of gender differences in Canadian adults.
abstract: This study investigated the degree to which facets of impulsiveness predicted future binge eating and problem gambling, 2 theorized forms of behavioral addiction. Participants were 596 women and 406 men from 4 age cohorts randomly recruited from a Canadian province. Participants completed self-report measures of 3 facets of impulsiveness (negative urgency, sensation seeking, lack of persistence), binge-eating frequency, and problem-gambling symptoms. Impulsiveness was assessed at baseline, and assessments of binge eating and problem gambling were followed up after 3 years. Weighted data were analyzed using zero-inflated negative binomial and Poisson regression models. We found evidence of transdiagnostic and disorder-specific predictors of binge eating and problem gambling. Negative urgency emerged as a common predictor of binge eating and problem gambling among women and men. There were disorder-specific personality traits identified among men only: High lack-of-persistence scores predicted binge eating and high sensation-seeking scores predicted problem gambling. Among women, younger age predicted binge eating and older age predicted problem gambling. Thus, there are gender differences in facets of impulsiveness that longitudinally predict binge eating and problem gambling, suggesting that treatments for these behaviors should consider gender-specific personality and demographic traits in addition to the common personality trait of negative urgency.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Calgary.
authors.forename: Sarah M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Farstad
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Calgary.
authors.forename: Kristin M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: von Ranson
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Calgary.
authors.forename: David C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Hodgins
authors.affiliation: Division of Addiction, Foothills Addiction Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Calgary.
authors.forename: Nady
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: El-Guebaly
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Calgary.
authors.forename: David M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Casey
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health and Faculty of Nursing, University of Alberta.
authors.forename: Don P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Schopflocher
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D056912:Binge-Eating Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D002170:Canada; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005715:Gambling / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007175:Impulsive Behavior; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010551:Personality; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D055815:Young Adult