Examining the role of distress tolerance and negative urgency in binge eating behavior among women

• Negative urgency (NU) was significantly associated with binge eating (BE).
• NU did not moderate the link between disordered eating attitudes and BE.
• NU did not moderate the link between depressive symptoms and BE.
• Distress tolerance was not associated with BE.
• Results support focusing on NU in targeted treatments for BE among women.

The current study examined whether distress tolerance and negative urgency moderate the link between depressive symptoms and binge eating frequency, and between disordered eating attitudes and binge eating frequency. Young adult women (N = 186) completed questionnaires assessing depressive symptoms, cognitive restraint, eating, shape and weight concerns, distress tolerance, impulsivity (including negative urgency), and binge eating. After controlling for body mass index, race/ethnicity, and other domains of impulsivity, negative urgency was significantly associated with binge eating above and beyond the influence of disordered eating attitudes and depressive symptoms. Distress tolerance, in contrast, was not associated with binge eating. In addition, neither negative urgency nor distress tolerance moderated the associations between disordered eating attitudes and binge eating frequency, or between depressive symptoms and binge eating. Results support the additive role of difficulties responding adaptively to distress in binge eating frequency, above and beyond the influence of emotional distress. Findings highlight the potential value of focusing on negative urgency in targeted treatments for binge eating among women. Importantly, results from the current study differ from those of previous research; these discrepancies could be the result of variations in sample characteristics and approaches to the assessment of binge eating behavior. Additional research, including longitudinal studies and research using “real-time” assessment strategies, such as ecological momentary assessment, is necessary to elucidate further the role of various emotion regulation strategies in maintaining binge eating behavior in adult women.