Longitudinal association between childhood impulsivity and bulimic symptoms in African American adolescent girls.

Abstract

Using a longitudinal design, the authors of this study examined the relationship between externalizing problems and impulsivity in early childhood and symptoms of disordered eating in late adolescence. Participants were urban, African American first-grade girls (N = 119) and their parents who were participating in a longitudinal study examining the prevention of disruptive behaviors. Impulsivity, conduct problems, and oppositional defiant behavior were assessed by parent report via structured interview questions. At 9-year follow-up, bulimic symptoms were measured by the Eating Disorder Inventory. A hierarchical regression analysis was conducted to determine the longitudinal association among impulsivity, conduct problems, and oppositional defiant behavior and bulimic symptoms. Parental report of impulsivity in first-grade girls, but not conduct problems or oppositional defiant behavior, was associated with self-reported bulimic symptoms in the girls in late adolescence (p < .04). These results extend previous findings of a concurrent relationship between impulsivity and dysfunctional eating behaviors to a minority sample and further indicate that behavioral impulsivity in early childhood may be used to identify children for targeted prevention of disordered eating.