A cross-cultural study of parental conflict and eating disorders in a non-clinical sample

Previous British studies have found that EAT scares of second generation Br itish Asian schoolgirls are higher than those of White schoolgirls (Furnham & Husain, 1999; McCourt & Wailer, 1995; Mumford et al., 1991), and that th ese scores are positively associated with parental over-protection (Furnham & Hussain, 1999). This study locked at the relationship between parental c onflict and parental overprotection and EAT scores in three cultures. The t hree groups, all of late adolescent females, were British Caucasians (N = 1 16), immigrant British Asians from Pakistan (N = 118), and Pakistanis teste d in Pakistan (N = 114). A 22 item conflict questionnaire was constructed a nd administered to 355 participants, along with the PBI, EAT-26, and Body S hape Belief Scale (BSBS). It was predicted that the British Asians would ha ve higher EAT, parental protection and conflict scores than the other two g roups. it was also predicted that EAT scores would be highly correlated wit h conflict scores. All hypotheses were supported, and over-protection score s were noticeably highest in the British Asian group. They also had a signi ficant amount of more conflict with parents than any of the other cultural groups. EAT scores were associated with conflict and over-protection. Resul ts are discussed in terms of the literature in the field.