Racial and ethnic differences in the association between parent‐oriented perfectionism and disordered eating in college women

• Published in: The International journal of eating disorders Vol. 53; no. 2; pp. 191 - 200
• Main Authors: Goel, Neha J., Burnette, C. Blair, Mazzeo, Suzanne E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken, USA John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01.02.2020; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Asian Americans; college students; disordered eating; Eating disorders; Minority & ethnic groups; perfectionism; race/ethnicity; disordered eating; college students; perfectionism; race/ethnicity
• ISSN: 0276-3478; 1098-108X
• DOI: 10.1002/eat.23179

Objective This study examined the associations between parent‐oriented dimensions of perfectionism (parental expectations [PE] and parental criticism [PC]) and eating disorder (ED) symptomatology across racial/ethnic groups. It was hypothesized that parent‐oriented perfectionism would be positively associated with ED symptomatology for White and Asian American women. Method Undergraduate women (N = 1,173) completed questionnaires assessing perfectionism, EDs, and demographics. One‐way analyses of variance tested differences in PE and PC across racial/ethnic groups; post‐hoc Tukey tests probed significant differences. Multiple linear regressions assessed associations between parent‐oriented perfectionism and ED symptomatology. Hurdle models tested the association between PE and PC and the frequency and odds of endorsing ED symptomatology. Results There were significant group differences in PE and PC. PE was positively linked with various ED symptoms in Latina, Asian American, and multiracial women, and was negatively related to purging in multiracial women. PC was positively associated with body dissatisfaction in White, Black, and multiracial women, but displayed differential associations with ED symptomatology in all racial/ethnic groups. Discussion Levels of parent‐oriented dimensions of perfectionism, and their relations to ED symptomatology, might vary across racial/ethnic groups. PE, in particular, is both more elevated, and more strongly linked to eating pathology in Asian American women, whereas PC appears to be especially relevant to ED symptoms in Black women. Findings underscore the importance of considering the role of culture in ED symptomatology. Clinicians and researchers might consider incorporating assessments of parent‐oriented perfectionism into their practice.