Barshop Institute, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA; ReACH Center, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA.
Barshop Institute, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA; ReACH Center, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA; South Texas VA Health System, Audie Murphy Veterans Hospital, USA.
Eat Behav. 2023 Apr;49:101742. doi: 10.1016/j.eatbeh.2023.101742. Epub 2023 May 9.
Researchers have recently identified food insecurity (FI) as a risk factor for eating disorder pathology (EDP). Yet, associations between FI and EDP remain understudied in midlife and older adults. The current study is a descriptive and exploratory re-analysis of Becker et al. (2017, 2019), investigating prevalence rates of EDP and differences in EDP between midlife and older adult food bank clients. Additionally, we examined the relations between FI severity and EDP in each age group. Participants included 292 midlife (51-65 years) and 267 older adults (66+) who were clients of a local foodbank. All participants completed a self-report questionnaire inquiring about FI, EDP, and demographic information. Overall, 8.9 % of respondents had a probable eating disorder (10.5 % of midlife adults, 5.6 % of older adults). Binge eating was the most endorsed EDP. Significantly more midlife adults reported night eating and skipping ≥two meals in a row versus older adults. Additionally, FI severity level was associated with higher risk of night eating, BE, skipping ≥two meals in a row, and laxative use in midlife adults. These same associations were significant for older adults, with the addition of vomiting and exception of laxative use. Evidently, the relations between FI and EDP seen in younger populations extends into mid and late-life, with minimal differences between midlife and older adults living with FI. It is imperative that we intentionally include midlife and older adults in FI and EDP research, investigating how best to address disordered eating across the lifespan within the context of experiencing FI.
研究人员最近将食物不安全（FI）确定为饮食障碍病理（EDP）的一个风险因素。然而，FI 与 EDP 之间的关联在中年和老年人中仍研究不足。本研究是对 Becker 等人的描述性和探索性重新分析。（2017 年，2019 年），调查 EDP 的患病率以及食品银行中年和老年客户之间 EDP 的差异。此外，我们还研究了 FI 严重程度与每个年龄组 EDP 之间的关系。参与者包括 292 名中年（51-65 岁）和 267 名老年人（66+），他们是当地食品银行的客户。所有参与者都完成了一份自我报告问卷，询问 FI、EDP 和人口统计信息。总体而言，8.9%的受访者可能患有饮食障碍（10.5%的中年人，5.6%的老年人）。暴饮暴食是最受认可的 EDP。与老年人相比，明显更多的中年人报告夜间进食和连续跳过两餐以上。此外，FI 严重程度与中年成年人夜间进食、BE、连续跳过两餐以上和使用泻药的风险增加有关。对于老年人来说，这些关联也是显著的，除了使用泻药外，还包括呕吐。显然，在年轻人群中看到的 FI 和 EDP 之间的关系延伸到中年和晚年，FI 对中年和老年人的影响差异很小。至关重要的是，我们必须有意将中年和老年人纳入 FI 和 EDP 研究中，研究如何在经历 FI 的情况下，在整个生命周期内最好地解决饮食障碍问题。
