The role of ethnicity and parental bonding in the eating and weight concerns of Asian-American and Caucasian college women

Objectives: The purpose of this research was to explore the associations am ong ethnicity, parental bonding, acculturation, and eating disturbance in A sian-American and Caucasian weight-concerned college women. Methods: Twenty -five Asian-American and 26 Caucasian weight-concerned women were administe red the Eating Disorder Examination interview the Parental Bonding Instrume nt, and three subscales of the Eating Disorder Inventory. Asian-American su bjects also filled out the Suinn-Lew Asian Self-identity Acculturation Scal e questionnaire. Results: Contrary to hypotheses, weight-concerned Asian-Am erican women reported more dissatisfaction with body shape than did Caucasi an women. Moreover, in the Asian-American group, acculturation was not asso ciated with level of eating disturbance. In both groups, perceptions of low maternal caring were associated with higher levels of eating problems. In regression analyses, maternal care emerged as a better predictor of eating disturbance than did ethnicity. Discussion: Results suggest that qualify of parent-child relations, particularly the mother-daughter relationship, may be important in the etiology of eating problems, irrespective of ethnicity . Longitudinal investigations will be required to test causal relations. (C ) 1999 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.