Permanent change of station moves and disordered-eating attitudes and behaviors in prevention-seeking adolescent military-dependents. (January 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Higgins Neyland, M.K.; Shank, Lisa M.; Lavender, Jason M.; Rice, Alexander; Schindler, Rachel; Hennigan, Kathrin; Solomon, Senait; Kroke, Phillip; Schvey, Natasha A.; Sbrocco, Tracy; Wilfley, Denise E.; Jorgensen, Sarah; Yanovski, Jack A.; Olsen, Cara H.; Haigney, Mark; Klein, David A.; Quinlan, Jeffrey; Tanofsky-Kraff, Marian
• Is Part Of: Eating behaviors. Volume 40(2020)
• Publication Date: 2021-01
• Subjects: Military-dependents -- Adolescents -- Permanent change of station -- Moves -- Relocations -- Disordered-eating -- Loss-of-control eating -- Emotional eating; Eating disorders -- Periodicals; Compulsive eating -- Periodicals; Obesity -- Periodicals; 616.8526
• DOI: 10.1016/j.eatbeh.2020.101470
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1471-0153

Abstract

Abstract: Objective: Military-dependent youth appear to be at greater risk for disordered-eating than their civilian counterparts. Permanent change of station moves (PCS-moves), typically occurring every 2–3 years, are commonly experienced by adolescent military-dependents. However, the links between PCS-moves and disordered-eating in this population have not been explored. We hypothesized that stress arising from PCS-moves may contribute to the development and/or exacerbation of disordered-eating. Methods: One-hundred-forty-nine adolescent military-dependents with overweight or obesity (59.7% female; 46.3% non-Hispanic White; 14.4±1.5 years; BMI- z : 1.9±0.4) completed measures before commencing an adulthood obesity and binge-eating disorder prevention trial for adolescents at-risk for both conditions due to BMI percentile ≥85th and loss-of-control (LOC)-eating and/or elevated anxiety symptoms. Disordered-eating attitudes and LOC-eating were assessed by semi-structured interview, and emotional eating was self-reported. Adjusting for relevant covariates, multiple linear regressions examined the unique association of PCS-move frequency with disordered-eating attitudes and disinhibited-eating behaviors. Results: PCS-move frequency was not significantly associated with either LOC-eating frequency ( β = 0.09, p = .27) or emotional eating ( β = −0.04, p = .62). However, PCS-move frequency was positively associated with disordered-eating attitudes ( β = 0.17, p = .04), which appeared to be primarily driven by shape concerns ( β = 0.21, p = .01). Discussion: Findings indicate that frequency of PCS-moves is related to disordered-eating attitudes, but not behaviors. Longitudinal research is needed to understand if PCS-moves prospectively relate to the onset and/or exacerbation of disordered-eating, and the relevance of disordered-eating attitudes as opposed to disinhibited-eating behaviors. Highlights: The average number of permanent change of station moves (PCS-moves) was 3.6. PCS-move frequency was positively associated with disordered-eating attitudes. PCS-move frequency was not significantly related to disordered-eating behaviors. Prospective work should explore the impact of PCS-moves on eating-related outcomes.