The father-daughter relationship and individual risk factors in the development of eating disorders
Abstract
Eating disorders are a major mental and physical health concern in the United States and have been linked to various preventable risks. Known youth risk factors such as youth weight concerns, delinquency, and depression are associated with negative father-adolescent relationships as well as eating disorder development. The author performed a secondary data analysis using a large representative sample from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) (N = 5, 292). Structural equation modeling was used to examine the role of the father-daughter relationship in adolescence on the presence of an eating disorder in young adulthood with youth risk factors serving as mediating variables. Goodness-of-fit statistics indicated the mediation model was not a good fit to the data, but the regression and correlational path analyses were significant. Findings indicated the significance of the father-daughter relationship on youth risk factors and eating disorder development in young adulthood. Clinical implications are provided with a family systems-based and attachment-based theoretical framework.
Degree
M.S.
Advisors
Edwards, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Mental health|Health sciences|Individual & family studies
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