African American Women and Eating Disturbances: A Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Eating disturbances are often portrayed as a problem found mainly among White women and nearly absent among African American women. The relationship between ethnicity and eating disturbances is examined using meta-analysis. Data from 18 studies were included to examine the overall relationship between ethnicity and eating disturbances and the specific relationship between African American women and White women. Although White women had a greater risk of eating disturbances than African American women as a group, the effect size was notably small. Specifically, White women had a slightly greater risk for all eating disturbances combined than African American women. African American women did not differ significantly from White women in their risk for bulimia and binge-eating disorder. Implications are discussed.