The clinical significance of binge eating among older adult women: an investigation into health correlates, psychological wellbeing, and quality of life

Abstract

Background: One type of overnutrition, binge eating (BE; eating an unusually large amount of food with loss of control), is prevalent among older adult women. Yet, little is known about the clinical significance of this eating disorder pathology in older adults, especially in relation to health outcomes used in geriatrics, while controlling for associations with body mass index (BMI). Method: Women (N = 227) aged 60–94 completed two measures of BE and health/wellness questionnaires online. We used multivariable analyses to compare women with Clinical-frequency BE (≥ weekly frequency), Subclinical-frequency BE (