EFFECTS OF INTRAFAMILIAL SEXUAL ASSAULT ON EATING BEHAVIORS

Recent research has linked sexual assaults with disordered eating beha viors. Whether the relationship of the perpetrator, intrafamilial or e xtrafamilial, affects the development of disturbed eating is not known . Using data from 390 university women, we found that women with histo ries of intrafamilial assaults were more likely to suffer a serious ea ting problem (17 of 36 subjects, 47%) than women who had no history of sexual assault (30 of 142 subjects, 21%) and women who only reported extrafamilial assaults (76 of 212 subjects, 36%).