FAMILY BACKGROUND AND SEXUAL ABUSE ASSOCIATED WITH EATING DISORDERS

Objective: The authors examined the possible relationship of negative early familial experiences and childhood sexual abuse to the later dev elopment of eating disorders. Method: Three anonymous questionnaires-a sexual abuse screening checklist, the Biographic Inventory for Diagno sis of Behavioral Disturbances, and the Eating Disorder Inventory - we re distributed to 350 female university students. Results: Of the 202 women who completed the questionnaires, 44 (21.8%) were victims of chi ldhood sexual abuse. There were no significant differences in the tota l or the subscale scores on the Eating Disorder Inventory among women with no, one, or repeated incidents of sexual abuse. However, women wh o reported an adverse family background displayed significantly higher Eating Disorder Inventory total and subscale scores than did women wh o assessed family background as a secure base. Conclusions: The data i n this nonclinical female cohort suggest that childhood sexual abuse i s neither necessary nor sufficient for the later development of an eat ing disorder, while an adverse family background may be an important e tiological factor.