Childhood Trauma and Disordered Eating Attitudes and Behaviours in Adulthood: Investigating the Role of Daily Stress and Daily Perfectionistic Thinking

Abstract Background: Childhood trauma has been linked to diagnosed eating disorders and disordered eating attitudes and behaviours, however few studies have investigated these relationships at the daily level in non-clinical populations. Furthermore, stress and perfectionistic thinking have been implicated separately within the childhood trauma and disordered eating literature, but no research has examined these at the daily level in conjunction with childhood trauma. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between childhood trauma and daily disordered eating measures whilst also considering the role of daily stress and perfectionistic thinking. Methods: Participants completed a background questionnaire before taking part in a 7-day daily diary study. Measures of daily stress, perfectionistic thinking and disordered eating attitudes and behaviours were completed daily before bed. Results: Analyses found significant effects of childhood trauma on daily disordered relationship with food, concerns over food and weight gain and restrictive and compensatory practices. Higher levels of perceived daily stress were associated with higher scores on disordered relationship with food and concerns over food and weight gain, with childhood trauma found to moderate the relationship between daily stress and restrictive and compensatory practices. Daily perfectionistic thinking was only associated with higher daily concerns over food and weight gain. Childhood trauma did not moderate any of the perfectionistic thinking-eating relationships. Conclusions: These findings highlight the impact of childhood trauma on disordered eating at the daily level and have implications for future research and clinical practice.