Longitudinal Association Between Childhood Impulsivity and Bulimic Symptoms in African American Adolescent Girls

Objective: Using a longitudinal design, the authors of this study examined the relationship between externalizing problems and impulsivity in early childhood and symptoms of disordered eating in late adolescence. Method: Participants were urban, African American first-grade girls (N = 119) and their parents who were participating in a longitudinal study examining the prevention of disruptive behaviors. Impulsivity, conduct problems, and oppositional defiant behavior were assessed by parent report via structured interview questions. At 9-year follow-up, bulimic symptoms were measured by the Eating Disorder Inventory. A hierarchical regression analysis was conducted to determine the longitudinal association among impulsivity, conduct problems, and oppositional defiant behavior and bulimic symptoms. Results: Parental report of impulsivity in first-grade girls, but not conduct problems or oppositional defiant behavior, was associated with self-reported bulimic symptoms in the girls in late adolescence (p < .04). Conclusions: These results extend previous findings of a concurrent relationship between impulsivity and dysfunctional eating behaviors to a minority sample and further indicate that behavioral impulsivity in early childhood may be used to identify children for targeted prevention of disordered eating.