Understanding the link between interoceptive deficits and binge eating symptoms among adolescents: A serial mediation analysis

The aim of this study was to assess relevant psychological predictors of binge eating behaviors in a non-clinical sample of Italian male and female adolescents. To do so, 120 adolescents aged 17-21 years participated in a cross-sectional study. Cognitive-affective components of binge eating symptoms (BES) were assessed with the Binge Eating Scale. Difficulty recognizing and accurately identifying internal emotional states was assessed with the Interoceptive Deficits (ID) subscale of the Eating Disorders Inventory-3. Body uneasiness (BU) was measured using the Body Uneasiness Test. Negative affectivity (PA, NA) was assessed with the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule. Based on Pearson’s correlations results, we conducted a mediation model analysis to examine whether the ID-BES relationship was mediated by NA and BU. Examined relationships were preserved after controlling for the effect of age, gender and BMI. The current study’s findings contribute to clarify the role that BU-related NA may play on ID in the appearance of BES and provide preliminary support for the potential role of NA and BU as self-regulatory mechanisms involved in this association.