This project studies older Hispanic/Latina (H/L) women who face significant medical multimorbidities (i.e., two or more medical conditions) influenced by systemic inequalities. Binge eating disorder (BED) remains underdiagnosed and undertreated in women generally, but especially among those in minoritized populations. This study investigates how BED affects physical and mental health over time in older H/L women experiencing food insecurity. We hypothesize that BED will worsen multimorbidity and decrease quality of life in aging, food-insecure H/L women.
We are collecting both quantitative and qualitative data over the span of two years in hopes of contributing to a more inclusive understanding of BED and ultimately culturally-appropriate community-based interventions. This study assesses cardiometabolic risk, depressive symptoms, physical functioning, and quality of life among older H/L women experiencing FI with and without BED using a mixed-methods design. We also aim to understand how social determinants of health (SDoH), such as healthcare access, can exacerbate BED symptoms. This project is significant because, despite the evidence that BED contributes to poor physical and mental health outcomes, its impact in the context of FI has yet to be studied longitudinally.