Assessing Eating Pathology in Hispanic Americans

Abstract

Eating disorders are one of the most common yet damaging psychiatric problems experienced by young women in the United States today, with rates in men on the rise. Furthermore, eating disorders are pernicious and debilitating disorders characterized by a persistent course, comorbidity with other psychiatric disorders, medical complications, and elevated mortality. Historically, eating disorders were considered 'culture-bound syndromes' occurring in Western societies, among White women from higher socioeconomic status. Hispanic women report weight control behaviors such as vomiting, laxatives, diuretics, and diet pills at similar rates to Caucasian women, and some research suggests that binge eating may occur at higher rates among Hispanic American women when compared to other ethnicities. The same pattern of findings holds true for males as well; Hispanic males report comparable or higher levels of nonnative and extreme weight control behaviors than their White counterparts. In addition, some research has found Hispanic males to report more binge eating and comparable levels of body dissatisfaction compared to Caucasian Americans. Given these data, it is essential for researchers and clinicians to consider multicultural factors in the assessment, conceptualization, and treatment of eating pathology in Hispanic Americans. To make accurate assessments, researchers must evaluate the conceptual equivalence of constructs, create psychometrically stabile assessment instruments, and evaluate them for cross-cultural equivalence. Simultaneously, clinicians must use sound judgment in selecting appropriate assessment instruments and interpreting the results. Consequently, this chapter aims to: review some key cultural considerations relevant to evaluating eating pathology in Hispanic Americans, provide descriptions of existing assessment instruments used to evaluate eating pathology, and discuss current limitations of the assessment literature for Hispanic American clients. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)