Temperament, mood, dietary restraint, and bulimic symptomatology in college women

The current study examined whether biologically-influenced temperamental traits implicated in the pathogenesis of disordered eating behaviors contribute to their development over and above current negative affect and dietary restraint. Participants (N = 276) were undergraduate psychology women who completed the BULIT-R, BDI-II, STAIS, RS, and the MPQ. Temperamental characteristics, particularly increased Negative Emotionality and decreased Positive Emotionality, were significantly associated with increased levels of bulimic symptomatology. Moreover, these dimensions accounted for small, but statistically significant amounts of the variance of bulimic symptomatology over and above current negative affect and dietary restraint. Contrary to expectations, impulsivity did not predict bulimic symptoms. This study provides evidence that temperamental dimensions related to mood rather than impulsivity are associated with bulimic symptomatology and contribute to bulimic symptoms over and above state mood and dietary restraint. Future empirical studies are needed to clarify relationships between temperament and other risk factors for disordered eating.