Investigating Associations Between Health Status Indicators and DSM-5 Binge-Eating Disorder Diagnostic Features for the Phenomenon of Binge-Eating Within a Community Population

Background: This study explored the relationships between Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth edition (DSM-5) binge-eating disorder (BED) diagnostic features (Criteria B and C) with weight/shape overvaluation, anxiety/depression, pain, and physical and mental health related quality of life (QoL) in a general population sample. Methods: Data comprised 280 participants aged >15 years, from a State epidemiological sample. Participants reported weekly recurrent binge-eating (DSM-5 BED criteria) without another main eating disorder diagnoses. Bivariate and multivariable analyses were used to explore associations. Results: After adjustment for age and sex, Criterion B1, “rapid eating” was associated with increased distress, lower weight/shape overvaluation and higher pain/discomfort; B2, “uncomfortably full eating” was associated with higher weight/shape overvaluation; B3, “non-hungry eating” was associated with higher weight/shape overvaluation; and, B5, binge-eating “disgust, guilt, or depression” was associated with increased binge-eating distress, higher weight/shape overvaluation, anxiety/depression and lower mental health related QoL. Criterion C (“binge-eating distress”) was associated with greater pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression and lower mental health related QoL Low frequency of B4 (n = 12, 4.3%; “Solitary binging due to embarrassment”) precluded multivariable analyses. Conclusions: These findings indicate clinical associations of these DSM-5 criteria and suggest each may have singular value. In particular, disgust with eating (B5) and binge-eating distress (Criterion C) appeared to have the most consistent associations with indicators of mental health and eating disorder symptoms.