Effect of Ethnic Identity on Attitudes, Feelings, and Behaviors Toward Food

A nationwide study examined differences in attitudes, feelings, and behaviors of African-American and White female college students toward food. The study also explored the relationship between eating disorder symptoms and ethnic identity among the two groups. All subjects completed the Eating Disorder Inventory-2 (EDI-2), a demographic questionnaire, and the Multi-Group Ethnic Identity Scale (MGEI). Analyses of variance and unpaired t-test revealed that White women exhibited significantly greater disordered eating behaviors and attitudes than African-American women. After controlling for degree of overweight, differences in disordered eating symptomology between the two groups became even greater. In contrast to White women, African-American women's dissatisfaction with body weight and shape was related to actual weight problems. Furthermore, degree of ethnic identity was greater among African-American women. Nonetheless, regression analysis revealed that ethnic identity was a predictor of drive for thinness, bulimia, and body dissatisfaction for White but not African-American women.