Developmental role of perceived parental control in the eating psychopathology of Asian and Caucasian schoolgirls.

It has been suggested that the relatively high levels of eating psychopathology among Asian schoolgirls living in the United Kingdom are due to "culture clash," but this construct needs further definition. A recent study has shown that perceived control by family members is important in determining the relatively unhealthy eating attitudes of Asian adolescents. However, that study focused on older adolescents (aged 14-15 years). The present study examines the development of that effect in a sample of Asian and Caucasian adolescent girls with a broader range of ages (aged 12-16 years). Again, the unhealthy eating attitudes of Asian girls were partly explained by their high levels of perceived maternal control. However, this effect was particularly strong among the older girls, suggesting a developmental trend through adolescence. There might be clinical benefits of addressing perceived or actual maternal control in these girls.