Reporting Racial and Ethnic Diversity in Eating Disorder Research Over the Past 20 Years

Abstract

Although there have been calls for better understanding the presentation of eating disorders in racially and ethnically diverse groups for the last two decades, recent increased attention to racial and ethnic disparities have again brought to light issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion. However, there is currently limited empirical information on racial and ethnic representation in eating disorders research, making it difficult to understand where improvements are needed. To address this gap, the present study reviewed all studies including human participants published in the International Journal of Eating Disorders (IJED) in 2000, 2010, and 2020. Out of 377 manuscripts, only 45.2% reported information on the race and ethnicity of study participants. Papers published by researchers in the United States were significantly more likely to report on race and ethnicity than those published by researchers outside of the United States, which may reflect differences in how information on race and ethnicity is collected across countries. Ninety-two percent of papers that did present information on race and ethnicity included White participants, who made up approximately 72% of the samples. Black participants were included in 52% of studies and made up approximately 10% of participants. Participants from all other races and ethnicities were included in less than half of studies. Over time, rates of reporting race and ethnicity increased, but the considerable majority of White participants remained consistent. More attention toward capturing the cultural background of research participants and more inclusivity in research are needed in the eating disorders field.

A systematic review of sociodemographic reporting and representation in eating disorder psychotherapy treatment trials in the United States

“…Slightly over half of the studies overall reported full race/ethnicity data, and a quarter reported none. Consistent with Egbert et al (2022), reporting of race/ethnicity data increased over time. Yet, 10% of studies published in the last decade did not report race or ethnicity and 20% reported only % White, non‐White, or minority.…”

“…It is important to emphasize that best practices will continue to evolve over time, and researchers should update their methodology accordingly. Additionally, these recommendations are tailored toward US‐based researchers; we refer readers to Egbert et al (2022) for additional recommendations relevant to research conducted internationally and welcome dialogue from international experts and researchers.…”

“…A recent review of all articles published in the International Journal of Eating Disorders in the years 2000, 2010, and 2020 found that although racial/ethnic data reporting increased over time, the substantial majority of participants were White (Egbert et al, 2022). These results highlighted the importance of improving reporting and representation within ED literature broadly to help eliminate existing disparities.…”

Eating Disorder Examination‐Questionnaire: Evaluating factor structures and establishing measurement invariance with Asian/Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, Black, and White American college men

“…Men and people of color are underrepresented in the ED literature and disparities in the prevention, assessment, and treatment of these conditions in these groups persist (Egbert et al, 2022; Goel, Thomas, et al, 2022, Murray et al, 2017). To optimize ED screening and detection, it is imperative that our most widely used measurement tools are validated within and across groups, and invariance is established to enhance confidence in the validity of score interpretations and comparisons.…”

Accountability in promoting representation of historically marginalized racial and ethnic populations in the eating disorders field: A call to action

“…In addition to diversifying our workforce, we encourage scientists to commit to scholarship that benefits underserved populations and goes beyond understanding EDs using data from a homogenous population (e.g., young, White cisgender females from Westernized societies). Although EDs can affect anyone, regardless of race/ethnicity, gender, or cultural group (Cheng, Perko, Fuller‐Marashi, Gau, & Stice, 2019), and we know they do (e.g., Marques et al, 2011), historically marginalized racial/ethnic populations are less likely to be recruited, assessed, and retained in ED research (Egbert, Hunt, Williams, Burke, & Mathis, 2022; Goel, Thomas, Boutté, Kaur, & Mazzeo, 2021). When recruitment of diverse study participants is limited, study results become less generalizable to underrepresented groups, perpetuating the myth that EDs affect only young, White cisgender females from Westernized societies.…”