Sex Differences in Social, Health, and Lifestyle Characteristics Associated With Binge-Eating Behaviors: Results From...

To explore sex differences in social, health and lifestyle characteristics associated with binge-eating behaviors in a large population-based study.

This study included 84,995 participants (women 52.1%) aged ≥ 15 years from the French national random population-based EpiCov cohort. We assessed binge-eating (BE) behaviors (No BE; BE without compensatory behavior [BE-]; BE with a compensatory behavior [BE+]) using the Patient Health Questionnaire Eating Disorder module in 2021. After testing interactions between exposures (self-reported social, health and lifestyle characteristics) and sex for BE behaviors, weighted multinomial logistic regressions were performed to explore the associations between exposures and BE behaviors stratified by sex.

The prevalence of BE- and BE+ was higher among women (3.4 [3.2-3.7]% and 1.2 [1.1-1.3]%, respectively) than among men (2.1 [1.9-2.3]% and 0.7 [0.6-0.8]%, respectively). Sex modified the associations that were observed between BE- and poor perceived health status (adjusted odds ratio [95% CI]: men 2.43 [1.90-3.09], women 1.53 [1.29-1.80], interaction p = 0.008), and between BE+ and obesity (vs. normal weight; men 6.15 [3.92-9.64], women 2.15 [1.54-3.01], interaction p = 0.002). No other effect modification of sex was observed.

In this large study based on a national random sample from the French general population, the prevalence of binge eating was higher in women than in men. However, the associations between BE- and perceived health status, and between BE+ and obesity, were greater in men than women. The results highlight the need for targeted prevention strategies for BE accounting for sex differences.