Food insecurity is related to eating disorder psychopathology beyond psychological distress in rural Chinese adolescents.

Objective: This study aimed to examine the relationship between food insecurity (FI) and eating disorder psychopathology in a large sample of rural Chinese adolescents.

Methods: Analyses included 1654 adolescents (55.4% girls; M = 16.54 years, SD = 1.45) from a rural high school in southwestern China. FI, eating disorder psychopathology, and psychological distress (i.e., symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress) were assessed. Data were analyzed by sex. Pearson correlation analysis was performed to investigate the zero-order association between FI and eating disorder psychopathology. Hierarchical linear regressions were used to explore whether FI could explain meaningful variance in eating disorder psychopathology beyond psychological distress and demographic covariates (e.g., socioeconomic status).

Results: FI was significantly associated with higher eating disorder psychopathology for boys (r = 0.44, p < 0.001) and girls (r = 0.43, p < 0.001), with medium-to-large effect sizes. FI accounted for significant unique variance in eating disorder psychopathology beyond psychological distress and demographic covariates for boys (ΔR = 0.14, p < 0.001) and girls (ΔR = 0.10, p < 0.001).

Discussion: Using a large sample of rural Chinese adolescents, this study extends the connection between FI and eating disorder pathology in adolescents beyond the Western context. Future investigations on the mechanisms underlying FI and eating disorder psychopathology are warranted for developing prevention strategies for eating disorders among rural Chinese adolescents.

Public Significance: This is the first investigation that examined the link between FI and eating disorder psychopathology among rural Chinese adolescents. Our findings highlight the importance of incorporating FI as a potential risk factor to screen for the prevention and intervention of eating disorders among rural Chinese adolescents.