Document Type

Article

Publication Date

7-28-2026

Comments

This article is the author’s final published version in Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, Volume 52, Issue 4, 2026, Article number e70159.

The published version is available at https://doi.org/10.1111/jmft.70159. Copyright © 2026 The Author(s).

Abstract

Disordered eating behaviors are prevalent in emerging adulthood and may be shaped by family dynamics. This study examined associations among maternal and paternal differential support, weight-shape concerns, and binge eating and compensatory behaviors in emerging adulthood, while testing the moderating role of negative urgency. Participants were 517 emerging adults from across the United States (ages 18-29; M = 22.60, SD = 3.81; 76% female). Participants reported on parental differential support, weight-shape concerns, eating behaviors, and negative urgency. Using moderated-mediation analyses, we found that weight-shape concerns mediated associations between differential support and eating behaviors. Unequal maternal support and paternal favoritism showed distinct patterns, suggesting that differential parental support may carry different relational meanings. Associations were stronger among individuals with high negative urgency. Together, the findings suggest that unequal treatment and emotional reactivity may play an important role in understanding disordered eating within family contexts.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

PubMed ID

42522223

Language

English

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