title: Sexual Minority Stressors, Internalizing Symptoms, and Unhealthy Eating Behaviors in Sexual Minority Youth.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Sexual minorities are more likely than heterosexuals to engage in unhealthy eating behaviors.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study is to examine sexual minority stressors and internalizing symptoms as predictors of unhealthy eating behaviors among sexual minority youths.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used longitudinal data from 1461 sexual minority youths in the Growing Up Today Study, across ages 14-28 years. We hypothesized that sexual minority stressors would predict unhealthy eating behaviors, in part due to internalizing symptoms. Linear regression models fit via generalized estimating equations were stratified by gender and sexual orientation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant positive and inverse associations between stressors and eating behaviors were detected among females and males, with more significant associations among females. Associations were attenuated by up to 71 % for females and 12 % for males when internalizing symptoms were added to the models.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sexual minority stressors predicted unhealthy eating behaviors overall and more so for some sexual orientation and gender groups; associations were partially explained by internalizing symptoms. The conceptual model appears to best describe the experiences of bisexual females. Findings have clinical implications for adolescent health.
authors.affiliation: Adolescent/Young Adult Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, 300 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA, 02115, USA. sabra.katz-wise@childrens.harvard.edu.|Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. sabra.katz-wise@childrens.harvard.edu.
authors.forename: Sabra L
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4825-6673
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Katz-Wise
authors.affiliation: Adolescent/Young Adult Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, 300 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.|Department of Community and Family Medicine, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH, USA.
authors.forename: Emily A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Scherer
authors.affiliation: Adolescent/Young Adult Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, 300 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.|Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Jerel P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Calzo
authors.affiliation: Adolescent/Young Adult Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, 300 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
authors.forename: Vishnudas
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sarda
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Smith College, Northampton, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Benita
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Relations and Applied Nutrition, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Jess
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Haines
authors.affiliation: Adolescent/Young Adult Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, 300 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.|Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.|Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.|Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: S Bryn
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Austin
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology*; D001727:Bisexuality / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology*; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D018452:Homosexuality, Female / Q000523:psychology*; D018451:Homosexuality, Male / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008913:Minority Groups / Q000523:psychology; D054525:Minority Health; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Coping mechanisms; Disinhibited eating; Internalizing symptoms; Minority stress; Sexual minority