DISORDERING EATING AND PERCEPTIONS OF CHILDHOOD ABUSE AMONG WOMEN IN A PRIMARY-CARE SETTING

Research has demonstrated links between sexual abuse and disordered ea ting among women in college student and mental health samples. Little is known about such relationships among women from other samples or th e relationship between other forms of childhood abuse as well as disor dered eating (vomiting, starvation, laxative abuse). Prevalence of dis ordered eating was significantly higher among women who indicated a pe rceived childhood history of sexual, physical, or emotional abuse or w ho had personally witnessed violence.