(PS7-65) Longitudinal Associations Between Weight-based Discrimination and Eating Pathology Among Latine and Non-latine Youth

Background/

Objectives: Weight stigma, defined as the social devaluation of an individual based on their body weight, is robustly associated with adverse outcomes in both adults and youth, including depression, anxiety, and suicidality. However, relationships between weight-based discrimination (WBD) and eating pathology remain understudied in youth, particularly among cultural subgroups. Determining cultural differences in the impacts of WBD among youth over time may be critical for tailoring early intervention and risk prevention efforts. The current study, therefore, assessed associations between WBD and eating pathology among Latine and non-Latine children participating in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study.

Method: Youth in the ABCD study were recruited for the baseline visit at ages 9-10. At one-year follow-up, children completed a measure of WBD. The KSADS from the four-year follow-up was used to assess sub- and full-threshold eating disorders (EDs). A single item assessed race/ethnicity. Logistic regressions, adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity and body composition, were conducted with WBD as the predictor variable and EDs at four-years as the outcome(s). Additional models explored the effect of the interaction of Latine identity and discrimination on the same outcomes.

Results: 11,868 youths were included at baseline; 4,315 were included in analyses with full four-year data. In the full sample, WBD was associated with greater odds of reporting bulimia nervosa (aOR: 2.79, CI: 1.11–7.02) or any ED (aOR: 2.7, CI: 1.45–5.06) three years later. When looking at the interaction between race/ethnicity and WBD on ED outcomes, non-Latine youth who experienced WBD had significantly higher odds of reporting bulimia nervosa (aOR: 3.9, CI: 1.44–6.39) or any ED (aOR: 3.1, CI: 1.51–5.42) compared to those who did not experience WBD. This interaction was not significant among Latine children.

Discussion: The current study highlights the deleterious impacts of WBD on eating pathology among youths over time. Specifically, WBD was associated with greater odds of reporting any sub- or full-threshold ED and specifically bulimia nervosa three years later. When assessing odds of an ED specifically within youths who have experienced WBD, there are no significant differences between the racial/ethnic groups. When exploring the odds of an ED within racial/ethnic groups, there were significant differences between those who experienced WBD and those who did not among non-Latine-identifying children. Results suggest a nuanced relationship between WBD and eating pathology among cultural subgroups. Future work should continue to elucidate cultural and family factors influencing these relationships.