Nearly 80% of college students engage in some form of disordered eating, from overeating and binge eating to unhealthy weight control. New research suggests that what happens in childhood, both good and bad, can shape these behaviors, and that positive experiences can offer strong protection.
A University of Houston study found that students who grew up with supportive relationships, regular household routines, comforting beliefs and strong community connections were less likely to develop disordered eating habits. These benefits held true even for those who also experienced adversity such as abuse, neglect, illness or parental divorce.
“We found that positive, or benevolent childhood experiences, had a protective effect against disordered eating,” said study author Craig A. Johnston, associate professor and chair of the Department of Health and Human Performance at the University of Houston. “Even in the instance where students had a high amount of adverse childhood experiences, positive childhood experiences mitigated their impact in regard to unhealthy eating behaviors.”
The most striking results came when both risk and protection were considered. Students with low adverse experiences and high positive experiences had 20% to 41% lower rates of disordered eating compared with those who had fewer positive influences.
The survey of 1,634 University of Houston students showed the highest predicted risk, at 63%, for excessive concerns about weight and shape among those with high adversity and low positive experiences.
According to Johnston, these findings suggest that prevention efforts should start early.
“Schools and community-based educational programs should incorporate lessons on healthy coping strategies and resilience-building techniques,” he said.
Co-author Cynthia Yoon of Pusan National University added that families, caregivers, neighbors and teachers all play a role.
“Creating a warm, caring and non-hostile environment … may help reduce the chances of students developing disordered eating behaviors during college,” she said.
The researchers also recommend that clinicians screen college students with disordered eating for their childhood experiences. Understanding whether food and eating are being used to cope with unmet emotional needs could help guide treatment and build resilience for long-term recovery.
This study was conducted by researchers from the University of Houston and Pusan National University and published in Adversity and Resilience Science.