Daily stress, coping, and dietary restraint in binge eating

Abstract

Objective The current study evaluated whether psychological stress, use of specific coping strategies, and trait dietary restraint would prospectively predict binge eating episodes. Method After completing a baseline measure of restraint, 46 binge eating college women kept daily diaries assessing depressed affect, stress, coping, and binge eating for 30 days. Results Regardless of level of depressed mood, higher stress was associated with increased risk of same-day binge eating; distraction coping was associated with increased risk of future binge eating; social support was associated with decreased risk of same-day binge eating; and women with high versus low dietary restraint showed different patterns of relationship for stress, coping, and binge eating. Discussion Vulnerability to binge eating in women who differ in terms of dietary restraint level may vary as a function of their coping responses to stress. Results highlight the complexities of stress and coping in binge eating. © 2004 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 36: 204–212, 2004.