Longitudinal relationships between financial stress and eating disorder features in undergraduate students

Richardson, T., Elliott, Peter, Waller, Glenn and Bell, Lorraine (2015) Longitudinal relationships between financial stress and eating disorder features in undergraduate students. International Journal of Eating Disorders. (In Press)

Abstract

Objective: Previous research has shown a relationship between financial difficulties and poor mental health in students, but there has been no research examining such a relationship for eating attitudes.

Method: A group of 444 British undergraduate students completed the Index of Financial Stress and the Eating Attitudes Test (26-item version) at up to four time points across a year at university.


Results: Higher baseline financial difficulties significantly predicted higher eating attitudes scores at times 3 and 4 (up to a year), after adjusting for demographic variables and baseline eating attitudes score. Lower family affluence also predicted higher eating attitudes scores at time 4 (up to a year). A higher eating attitudes score at baseline also significantly predicted greater financial difficulties at time 2 (3-4 months). When considering these relationships by gender, they were significant for women only.

Discussion: Greater financial difficulties and lower family affluence predict a worsening in eating attitudes over time in female students. The relationship appears to be partially bidirectional, with financial difficulties driving poorer eating attitudes in the shorter term.

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Contributors

Author: T. Richardson

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