Life event stress and binge eating among adolescents: The roles of early maladaptive schemas and impulsivity

Title

Life event stress and binge eating among adolescents: The roles of early maladaptive schemas and impulsivity

Reference

Zhu, H., Luo, X., Cai, T., He, J., Lu, Y., & Wu, S. (2016). Life event stress and binge eating among adolescents: The roles of early maladaptive schemas and impulsivity. Stress and Health: Journal of the International Society for the Investigation of Stress, 32(4), 395-401. doi:10.1002/smi.2634

Abstract

This study examined the relationships between life event stress, early maladaptive schemas, impulsivity and binge eating among adolescents and investigated the effects of early maladaptive schemas and impulsivity on the relationship between life event stress and binge eating. Specifically, we examined a moderated mediation model in which early maladaptive schemas mediated this relationship and impulsivity moderated the mediation effect. Life event stress, early maladaptive schemas, impulsivity and binge eating were investigated in a sample of 2172 seventh‐, eighth‐ and tenth‐grade middle and high school students (mean age = 14.55 years, standard deviation = 1.29). The results indicated that adolescents with greater life event stress, more early maladaptive schemas and higher levels of impulsivity displayed more severe binge eating. In addition, early maladaptive schemas mediated the relationship between life event stress and binge eating, while impulsivity moderated this relationship. Furthermore, impulsivity also moderated the mediation effect of early maladaptive schemas; as impulsivity levels increased, the strength of the association between life event stress and early maladaptive schemas increased. This study illustrates the importance of understanding individual differences and their effects on the relationship between life event stress and binge eating. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved)

Keywords

binge eating; life events; early maladaptive schemas; impulsivity; adolescents; Adolescent Development; Life Experiences; Schema; Stress; Impulsiveness; Adolescent; Life Change Events; Eating;

Country

China

Sample type

General population - community

Study focus

Early maladaptive schemas

Study design

Correlational