Food cravings, binge eating, and eating disorder psychopathology: Exploring the moderating roles of gender and race

• We examined associations between food cravings, binge eating, and eating psychopathology and the moderators of gender and race.
• Food cravings were associated with binge eating and eating psychopathology.
• Females had a stronger association between food cravings and eating psychopathology.
• There were no significant differences by race.

ObjectiveTo examine the moderating effects of gender and race on the relationships among food cravings, binge eating, and eating disorder psychopathology in a community sample.MethodsData were collected from a convenience sample of 320 adults (53% male; mean age 28.5 ± 8.2 years; mean BMI 27.1 ± 5.2 kg/m2; mean education 15.1 ± 2.2 years; 64% white, 24% black, and 13% other race) participating in a cross-sectional study examining the interactions between stress, self-control and addiction. Participants completed a comprehensive assessment panel including a demographic questionnaire, the Food Craving Inventory, and Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using multiple logistic regression for binge eating behavior and multiple linear regression for eating disorder psychopathology.ResultsOverall, food cravings demonstrated significant main effects for binge eating behavior (adjusted OR = 2.65, p < .001) and global eating disorder psychopathology (B = .47 ± .09, p < .001). Females had a stronger relationship between food cravings and eating disorder psychopathology than males; there were no statistically significant differences by race.ConclusionThese findings, based on a diverse sample recruited from the community, suggest that food cravings are associated with binge eating and eating disorder psychopathology and may represent an important target for interventions.