Objective: This study examined the prevalence and correlates of binge eating in a biracial sample of adolescent males and females.
Method: White and African American students in Grades 6-12 (N=822) completed measures of social economic status (SES), body mass index (BMI), depression, current-ideal body image discrepancy, eating attitudes, dieting frequency, dietary intake, and activity level.
Results: Binge eating prevalence was highest among African American boys relative to the other demographic groups: 26% African American boys, 17% African American girls, 19% white boys, 18% white girls. Binge eating rates increased with age for white participants and decreased with age for African American participants. Depressive symptoms and consumption of high-fat foods predicted binge status among adolescents, whereas SES, BMI, eating attitudes, body image discrepancy, dieting, and low activity level failed to add predictive value.
Discussion: The observation of developmental differences in binging between whites and African Americans corresponds to their physical maturational divergence. These findings underscore the need for population-based surveys that sample binge eating across age, gender, and ethnicity.