Do pre-treatment factors predict self-monitoring adherence?

Nicole Nunez

doi:10.17918/00001627

Objective: Self-monitoring is associated with better treatment outcomes in binge eating disorders, including bulimia nervosa spectrum disorders. Despite the importance of self-monitoring in the treatment of eating disorders, the pre-treatment factors that predict self-monitoring adherence remain unexplored. This study aims to address the gaps in the existing literature by examining whether pre-treatment factors, including demographic factors, comorbid psychopathology, eating disorder pathology, and self-regulation deficits, predict adherence to self-monitoring. Method: Participants (N= 99) receiving behavioral therapy for Bulimia Nervosa-spectrum eating disorders in two clinical trials were included. Sample 1 included 44 participants (MAGE = 32.00, range = 18-60, 88.6% female, 11.4% male). Sample 2 included 55 participants (MAGE = 38.94, range = 19-68, 85.5% female, 14.5% male, MBMI = 29.46, range = 18.90 - 43.50). Participants were asked to complete self-monitoring throughout the course of treatment. Clinicians reviewed and rated the self-monitoring every week for the degree of completion on a 1-4 Likert scale. Clinicians' ratings were averaged across all sessions to determine self-monitoring adherence in treatment. The samples were collapsed, and univariate and multivariate regression analyses and independent samples t-tests were run to determine relationships between pre-treatment factors and self-monitoring adherence. Results: Multivariate regression revealed that women (b = -.43, SE = .12, p = .03) and those with greater impulsivity (b = -.35, SE = .17, p = .04) were less likely to demonstrate adherence to self-monitoring. Age, race, marital status, comorbid psychopathology, pre-treatment severity of eating disorder pathology, and difficulty in emotion regulation did not significantly predict self-monitoring adherence (all ps > .05). Conclusions: Gender and impulsivity emerged as significant predictors of self-monitoring adherence, such that women and those higher in impulsivity displayed poorer adherence to self-monitoring. Further research is needed to provide more conclusive evidence of this association and explore why and how gender and impulsivity may emerge as a predictor of self-monitoring adherence. This would inform future treatment recommendations for improving adherence in individuals having BN spectrum disorders.

Do pre-treatment factors predict self-monitoring adherence?

Files and links (1)

Abstract

Metrics

Details

Do pre-treatment factors predict self-monitoring adherence?

Files and links (1)

Abstract

Metrics

Details

Drexel University Social media