Longitudinal relationships between financial stress and eating disorder features in undergraduate students

Objective: Previous research has shown a relationship between financial difficulties and poor mental health in students, but there has been no research examining such a relationship for eating attitudes.Method: A group of 444 British undergraduate students completed the Index of Financial Stress and the Eating Attitudes Test (26-item version) at up to four time points across a year at university.Results: Higher baseline financial difficulties significantly predicted higher eating attitudes scores at times 3 and 4 (up to a year), after adjusting for demographic variables and baseline eating attitudes score. Lower family affluence also predicted higher eating attitudes scores at time 4 (up to a year). A higher eating attitudes score at baseline also significantly predicted greater financial difficulties at time 2 (3-4 months). When considering these relationships by gender, they were significant for women only.Discussion: Greater financial difficulties and lower family affluence predict a worsening in eating attitudes over time in female students. The relationship appears to be partially bidirectional, with financial difficulties driving poorer eating attitudes in the shorter term