Exploring the reciprocal relationships between adolescents' perceptions of parental and peer attachment and disordered eating: A multiwave cross‐lagged panel analysis

Abstract

Objective: This prospective study explored bidirectional associations between attachment quality towards mother, father, and peers and disordered eating among a large population-based sample of boys and girls in the transition from preadolescence to adolescence. Specifically, we examined whether insecure attachment relationships emerged as a risk factor for or as an outcome of disordered eating.Method: A population-based sample of 904 adolescent girls and boys was assessed four times, at baseline (T1; M age = 10.8 years) and at 2-, 4-, and 6-year follow-up (T2, T3, and T4). Prospective data were analyzed using cross-lagged panel models for each attachment figure (i.e., mother, father, peers) in a multigroup design to compare genders.Results: Better attachment to the mother led to less pronounced disturbed eating in girls across the entire age range and in boys across two time periods. In girls, more pronounced disordered eating at T3 predicted worse attachment to the mother at T4 and better attachment to the father at T1 predicted less disturbed eating at T2. In boys, disordered eating at T1 predicted better attachment to the father at T2. Concerning peer attachment, better attachment at T1 predicted disordered eating at T2, in boys only. No other significant cross-lagged effects emerged.Discussion: These findings highlight the differential and gender-specific contribution of attachment figures to the development of disordered eating in adolescence. Programs aimed at improving communication and trust in the relationship with parents might be promising in the prevention of disordered eating and the subsequent deterioration of parent-child attachment relationships. K E Y W O R D Sadolescents, attachment, cross-lagged panel analysis, disordered eating, gender

Attachment to parents and friends and body dissatisfaction in adolescents with eating disorders

“…Higher paternal anxiety and avoidance, and maternal avoidance predicted lower body satisfaction in both genders. A recent meta-analysis (Cortés-García et al, 2019b) highlighted the differential and gender-specific contribution of attachment figures on the development of disordered eating in adolescence. They concluded that positive attachment to parents, primarily mothers, leads to less eating problems.…”

Bonding With Parents, Body Image, and Sociocultural Attitudes Toward Appearance as Predictors of Eating Disorders Among Young Girls

“…The research conducted thus far shows that the insecure attachment pattern/style and abnormal bonding with parents are factors contributing to the development of eating disorders (26)(27)(28)(29). Cortés-García et al (5) performed a meta-analytic review of studies on how insecure attachment leads to symptoms of eating disorders, through mediation analysis. Maladaptive emotion regulation and depressive symptoms were found to be among the major pertaining factors, while body dissatisfaction, neuroticism, perfectionism, mindfulness, and social comparison were of somewhat lesser importance.…”

“…The significant role of the Westernization phenomenon and the increased incidence of eating disorders (anorexia and bulimia) in today's adolescent population indicate the need to implement health prevention measures aimed at rapid detection of psycho-social protective factors, as well as recognition of the risk of developing eating disorders (1)(2)(3). Research done in recent years concerning problems connected with eating disorders has confirmed the significance of both gender and age as two main risk factors for developing eating disorders: such disorders are prevalent in girls and young women (4,5). Besides gender and age, literature on the subject also lists a variety of other eating disorder risk factors: family environment, including attachment and bonding with parents; body image, including body shape dissatisfaction; low selfesteem; psychological distress; negative peer relationships; and family and media pressure (6)(7)(8).…”

“…5, with values below the mean indicating underweight or pathological weight loss, and index values above the mean range indicating overweight.The following research questions have been formulated on the basis of the literature:1. Can present parental bonding status in the dimensions of care and overprotection constitute a risk factor or/vs.…”

Mediating role of depressive symptoms linking insecure attachment and disordered eating in adolescents: A multiwave longitudinal study

“…Recent reviews have indicated that insecure attachment forecasts disordered eating during the transition to adolescence (Gander et al, 2015;Jewell et al, 2016). This assertion has been demonstrated in long term follow-up studies (Cortés-García, Hoffmann, Warschburger, & Senra, 2019;Le Grange et al, 2014;Milan & Acker, 2014). Even though the insecure attachment-EDs link is established, less is know about processes responsible for the association.…”