| Although there is a plethora of research and clinical observation concerning families and their possible role in eating disturbances, this study focused on the more recently researched family climate dimensions of family members' reported concern about body shape, social appearances and achievement, which have been found to differentiate families with a daughter with an eating disorder from families with a depressed daughter. In addition, current path models have shown that body dissatisfaction is a powerful predictor in the presence of disturbed eating and this variable is further explored. An additional variable, primarily clinically derived, interpersonal sensitivity, was also examined.; The sample consisted of 168 female students from a large, urban northeastern university. The students completed eight self-report measures: a demographic questionnaire, the Family Appearance Orientation Questionnaire, the Family Body Shape Questionnaire, The Family Achievement Emphasis Questionnaire, The Interpersonal Sensitivity Measure, The Body Dissatisfaction Scale, the Eating Disorder Diagnostic Scale and the Emotional Eating Scale. Almost twenty-six percent of the sample reported some form of eating disturbance.; Multiple regression analyses showed that the family climate variables, body dissatisfaction, and interpersonal sensitivity each contributed to the relationship with an overall eating disturbance symptom composite index. Reported family concern with body shape and with social appearance as well as interpersonal sensitivity contributed to the predictive capacity of the model when predicting emotional eating. Body dissatisfaction was the only significant variable in the regression model predicting sub-threshold bulimia and bulimia nervosa combined.; As the predictor variables are all additive only in the case of the overall eating disorder symptom composite index, further research is needed to examine what variables may be missing in a regression model when predicting emotional eating, bulimia, and its sub-threshold state. However, the findings showing the association between family climate variables and disordered eating highlight the importance of clinical work with family members on their attitudes toward body shape and weight and social appearance. |
