Disordered Eating Across Generations: Correlations and Tests of Perfectionism as a Moderator

Disordered eating is correlated across generations due to both genetic and environmental factors. This study examines correlations between dyads of three different generations. Additionally, this study investigates the moderating role of perfectionistic concerns in the relationship between mothers’ disordered eating and daughters’ disordered eating. In an online survey, college-aged daughters, their mothers, and their maternal grandmothers completed measures of disordered eating, including restrictive eating and binge eating, as well as perfectionistic concerns. Results revealed a relationship between mothers’ disordered eating and daughters’ disordered eating, both restrictive eating and binge eating. Furthermore, perfectionism significantly moderated the relationship between mothers’ and daughters’ binge eating (EDI-Bulimia). Similarly, perfectionism significantly moderated the relationship between grandmothers’ and mothers’ restrictive eating (EAT-26) and binge eating. In all moderator models, perfectionism strengthened the relationship between mothers’ disordered eating and daughters’ disordered eating among daughters low in perfectionism. These findings highlight the moderating role of perfectionistic concerns on the relationship between disordered eating across mother-daughter dyads, in terms of both restrictive eating and binge eating.