The relationship between childhood sexual abuse, family environment, and bulimic symptomatology
Abstract
The relationship between childhood sexual experiences, family environment, and bulimic behaviors was examined. Fifty-two female participants completed a semi-structured interview regarding past childhood sexual experiences and the Bulimia Test (BULIT-R), Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scales (FACES-II), and Trauma Symptom Checklist (TSC-40). A multivariate regression analysis indicated that overall degree of trauma was a significant predictor of BULIT-R scores, accounting for 40% of the variance. Overall degree of trauma was significantly positively related to the degree of eating problems reported. Number of unwanted sexual experiences, number of perpetrators, age of perpetrator, age difference between perpetrator and victim, and degree of force did not predict BULIT-R scores. The Cohesion and Adaptability subscales of the FACES-II did not mediate the relationship between sexual abuse variables and BULIT-R scores. Additionally, a one-way ANOVA comparing bulimic prone participants (BULIT-R scores $\ge$98) and nonbulimic prone participants (BULIT-R scores $\le$98) indicated that overall TSC-40 scores were positively related to bulimic prone status, F (1,50) = 14.81, $p < .001.$ Thus, women who were classified as bulimic prone were significantly more likely to report higher levels of trauma than women who were not classified as bulimic prone. Overall, the results suggest that traumatic symptoms may play an important role in the development of bulimic behaviors. Implications of this study and future directions are discussed.
Degree
Ph.D.
Advisors
Gruen, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Psychotherapy|Psychobiology|Womens studies|Social psychology|Families & family life|Personal relationships|Sociology
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