Gender differences in the relationship between impulsivity and disordered eating behaviors and attitudes

• Gender differences in impulsivity and disordered eating relations were studied in a large, non-clinical, college sample
• Women reported more disordered eating symptoms than men on average
• Men did endorse some disordered eating symptoms on average
• Attentional and motor impulsivity were associated with disordered eating symptoms in both men and women
• No gender differences were observed in the relationship between impulsivity and disordered eating symptoms

ObjectiveWe investigated relationships among gender, impulsivity and disordered eating in healthy college students.MethodParticipants (N = 1223) were healthy, undergraduate men (28.5%) and women (71.5%), who completed the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale — Version 11 (BIS-11) and a four-factor version of the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-16).ResultsAs predicted, mean scores on all four EAT-16 factors were significantly higher for women than for men. Attentional impulsivity was related to poorer self-perception of body shape, more dieting, and a greater preoccupation with food for the sample as a whole. Moreover, motor impulsivity was related to poorer self-perceptions of body shape and a greater preoccupation with food. However, no gender differences emerged in the relationship between impulsivity and disordered eating attitudes.DiscussionThis study elucidates the role of impulsivity in disordered eating behaviors among non-clinical college students. For both women and men, attentional and motor impulsivity were related to disordered eating attitudes and behaviors. Overall, these findings suggest that different facets of impulsivity are related to disordered eating attitudes and behaviors in a non-clinical college population.