Abstract
Females demonstrating unhealthy eating behaviors in early adolescence may continue to exhibit them in later years, yet there is little empirical research including late adolescents. Attachment theories suggest that adolescents with eating disorders demonstrate insecure attachments to parents. This non-experimental descriptive study in 249 late adolescent females examined the relationship between eating behaviors and parental attachment, and explored the relationship between selected demographic variables and parental attachment. Participants responded to an electronically collected survey of demographic variables, self-reported eating behaviors, and completed the Parent Attachment Questionnaire. Participants reporting healthy eating behaviors had higher scores on two of the three maternal scales, indicating a greater level of attachment. Significantly higher scores were found for two maternal and two paternal attachment scales for selected sociodemographic variables. Quantifying parental attachment in late adolescent females enhances understanding of eating disorders in this population and may help to identify issues important to address in therapy.
Highlights
Hospitalizations related to eating disorders are increasing in the United States
The inferential statistic that determined the differences in mean scores on the Parental Attachment Questionnaire (PAQ) was independent t-test
The current study did not find any significant difference in attachment related to age, and no difference in scores was demonstrated in relationship to race of the participant
Summary
Hospitalizations related to eating disorders are increasing in the United States. Between 1999 and 2005 the combined rates for all eating disorder hospitalizations increased by 18% and the related costs of $271 million represents an increase of 61%. One in four of people hospitalized in 2005 for eating disorders had cardiac dysrhythmias and 4% had liver or renal failure. Both statistics represent a greater than 100% increase in a six year period and not surprisingly the age group with the highest rate of admission (27%) was from 19 to 30 years of age, with female admission rates higher than male admission rates (Zhao & Encinosa, 2009). Prevalence rates of anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorders in females without hospital admissions are low at 0 .9%, 1.5%, and 3.5%; respectively this compares unfavorably in relation to the prevalence rates of men; 0.3%, 0.5%, and 2.0%, respectively (Hudson, Hiripi, Pope, & Kessler, 2007)
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