Questionnaire-Based Maladaptive Decision-Coping Patterns Involved in Binge Eating Among 1013 College Students

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Neuroscience
• Public Health

Background:

• Binge Eating Disorder (BED) is a significant public health concern impacting psychiatric, physical, and social well-being.
• BED's recognition as an independent diagnosis in the DSM-5 highlights its clinical importance.
• Poor decision-making is hypothesized to contribute to the development and maintenance of BED, similar to substance use disorders.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between decision-coping styles, monetary decision-making, and binge-eating behaviors in young adults.
• To identify specific decision-making patterns associated with binge eating.

Main Methods:

• A sample of 1013 college students was divided into binge-eating and non-binge-eating groups based on Binge Eating Scale (BES) scores.
• Participants completed the Melbourne Decision-Making Questionnaire (MDMQ), Delay-discounting Test (DDT), and Probability Discounting Test (PDT).

Main Results:

• The binge-eating group showed higher scores in maladaptive decision-making patterns: Procrastination, Buck-passing, and Hypervigilance.
• Logistic regression analysis indicated that Procrastination was a significant positive predictor of binge eating.

Conclusions:

• Decision-making dimensions are distinctly associated with binge eating in young adults.
• Procrastination emerges as a potential risk trait for the development of overeating and Binge Eating Disorder.
• Findings contribute to a better understanding of BED's underlying mechanisms and inform potential interventions.