Sexual and physical abuse and identity of the perpetrator: Associations with binge eating and overeating in Project EAT 2018.

BACKGROUND

Sexual and physical abuse are risk factors for binge eating and overeating, but few studies have examined association of the identity of the perpetrator with survivors' risk of binge eating and overeating.

PURPOSE

To examine the risk of binge eating and overeating by (1) type of abuse and identity of the perpetrators and (2) cumulative abuse experiences/perpetrators.

METHODS

Data came from Eating and Activity over Time (N = 1407; ages 18-30 during 2017-2018). Sexual abuse perpetrators included family members, non-family members, and intimate partners. Physical abuse perpetrators included family members and intimate partners. Cumulative abuse experiences were defined as the number of types of abuse experienced. Modified Poisson regressions were used to examine the risk of binge eating (overeating with loss of control) and overeating (without loss of control), by (1) abuse type and perpetrator and (2) cumulative abuse experiences.

RESULTS

Abuse was more strongly associated with binge eating than overeating. For binge eating, risk factors included familial and intimate partner sexual abuse (RR = 1.48 [95% CI = 1.01-2.17] and 2.41, [95% CI = 1.70-3.41], respectively) and physical abuse (RR = 1.84, [95% CI = 1.33-2.53] and 1.95, [95% CI = 1.35-2.81], respectively), after adjustment for sociodemographic variables. For overeating, associations with physical abuse were close to the null, and those with sexual abuse were modest, with wide CIs that overlapped the null. Abuse experiences were cumulatively associated with binge eating, but not overeating.

CONCLUSION

Assessment of identity of the perpetrator, and cumulative abuse experiences/perpetrators may assist in identifying people at the greatest risk of binge eating.