Binge eating risk factors and treatment-seeking resistance in ethnic minority women

The current study examined the influence of several risk factors on binge eating and treatment-seeking resistance in a community sample of women who identify as African American/Black or Hispanic/Latino and who are overweight or obese. A total of 209 nationwide participants were web-recruited. Participants completed the Binge Eating Scale (BES), the Stigmatizing Situations Inventory (SSI), The Adult Self Report (ASR), Ruminative Response Scale for Eating Disorders (RRS-ED), the Self-Stigma of Seeking Help Scale (SSOSH), the Perception of Stigmatization by Others for Seeking Psychological Help Scale (PSOSH) and the Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Help Scale. Results indicated all main study variables (depression, anxiety, stigma, and rumination) were significantly correlated with binge eating. Exploratory analyses indicated stigma, depression, and rumination collectively helped explain a significant amount of the variance (49%) in binge eating. Secondary analyses indicated that higher levels of depression and perceived weight stigma negatively influenced treatment-seeking resistance. No significant differences emerged as a function of ethnicity. Further research should continue to investigate possible differences between groups and how these differences influence treatment-seeking resistance.