Smith, Katherine;
(2023)
The Bare Necessities: Adolescent Food Insecurity and Disordered Eating.
Doctoral thesis (D.Clin.Psy), UCL (University College London).
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Abstract
In the past decade, the relationship between food insecurity and mental health has started to emerge in the food insecurity literature. Specifically, evidence has suggested a relationship with disordered eating. However, this evidence is sparse for adolescence, and almost non-existent outside of the United States. This paper aims to review the available evidence for the relationship between food insecurity and eating pathology in adolescents. Worldwide, 15 studies met criteria for this review, all of which were quantitative. The findings were collated and synthesized based on different eating pathologies: Binge eating/loss of control eating; weight and/or shape related dietary restriction; weight controlling behaviours; other disordered eating behaviours; body image and weight concerns; and clinically significant eating disorders. Fifteen studies conducted between 2017 and 2023 from two countries, primarily the United States, explored the connection between disordered eating behaviors and food insecurity. Various measurement tools were used, sample sizes ranged from 55 to 14,768, and age means ranged from 13 to 22. Most studies were cross-sectional (n=13), with a few longitudinal (n=3). The studies found associations between food insecurity and binge eating, compensatory fasting, unhealthy weight control behaviors, body image concerns, and clinically significant eating disorders. However, there were variations in results across studies. In conclusion, these research studies indicate a link between certain disordered eating behaviors and food insecurity, particularly in the case of binge eating disorder. However, comparing these studies is challenging due to variations in measurement tools and lack of validation of these tools, food insecurity levels within samples, limited research outside of the USA, and a shortage of longitudinal studies. Further research is warranted.
| Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Qualification: | D.Clin.Psy |
| Title: | The Bare Necessities: Adolescent Food Insecurity and Disordered Eating |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | Copyright © The Author 2022. Original content in this thesis is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) Licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/). Any third-party copyright material present remains the property of its respective owner(s) and is licensed under its existing terms. Access may initially be restricted at the author’s request. |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences > Div of Psychology and Lang Sciences |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10180771 |
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