Examining associations between negative urgency and key components of objective binge episodes.

Abstract

Negative urgency (NU; tendency to act impulsively when experiencing negative emotions) is a risk factor for binge eating, although few studies have examined interviewer-assessed objective binge episodes (OBEs). Moreover, research has not investigated how NU relates to the core components of OBEs: loss of control (LOC) eating and objective overeating (OO). Understanding the relationship between NU and these core components will enhance etiologic models of eating disorder development. Thus, the current study examined the associations between NU, OBEs, and the components of OBEs by comparing levels of NU in women with OBEs, LOC eating only, and OO only to women with no pathological eating. Participants were 612 women who endorsed lifetime OBEs (5.4%), LOC eating outside of OBEs (5.7%), OO only (2.8%), or none of these eating episodes (85.9%). Women with OBEs, LOC only, and OO only had significantly higher levels of NU than women without these episodes, suggesting that NU is associated with both the LOC and OO components of OBEs. NU relates to the spectrum of pathology present in women with OBEs. Future research should examine the mechanisms underlying these associations, including impaired behavioral/psychological control and/or increased reward sensitivity in response to negative affect.