Does the interpersonal model of binge eating function similarly across diverse ethnic groups?

Most eating disorder (ED) etiological models were developed based on symptom presentations experienced by White individuals. This cross-sectional study examined whether the interpersonal model of binge eating is applicable for ethnic minority emerging adults. Participants (N = 424; women: 65.8 %) were recruited via an online study in the United States (US). College students were: American Indian or Alaska Native (20.3 %), Asian (13.7 %), Black or African American (7.8 %), Other minority group (13.2 %), Spanish-origin or Hispanic/Latino (17.92 %), and White (26.42 %). One-fifth (22.9 %) of the sample reported moderately severe binge eating symptoms. Mediation and path invariance analyses explored whether interpersonal problems contributed to binge eating via negative affect, and whether relations differed between non-Hispanic, White and ethnic minority participants. Across the entire sample, interpersonal problems were significantly associated with negative affect and binge eating, and negative affect significantly contributed to binge eating (ps ≤ 0.001). Negative affect significantly mediated the pathway between interpersonal problems and binge eating (95 % CI = 1.05, 2.82). Multigroup results showed that the constrained model had superior fit based on AIC/BIC values and primary regression paths were invariant between models, indicating no significant differences between groups. Results suggest that the interpersonal model of binge eating may be a useful theoretical framework for understanding mechanisms of binge eating among minoritized college students, reiterating the importance of targeting interpersonal and mood symptoms in treatment. Future studies may consider testing associations prospectively and exploring specific types of interpersonal conflict and cultural moderators of this model for different ethnic groups within and beyond the US.