Intimate partner violence and eating disorders: a systematic review

Abstract

Eating disorders are one of the consequences suffered by individuals who are immersed in intimate partner violence. Knowing that intimate partner violence is a social problem that affects men and women all over the world, it is important to examine and detect which factors affect their physical and emotional health. The aim of the present work was to systematically review the association between IPV and ED. In February 2024, a systematic search of Web of Science, Scopus and PsycINFO databases was performed. A total of 689 papers were obtained, of which 155 were excluded as duplicates, resulting in 535 articles. After reviewing the title, abstract and keywords, 485 articles that did not meet the inclusion criteria were eliminated. Subsequently, the remaining 50 papers were read and discrepancies were resolved, achieving 87.3% agreement among judges. Finally, 40 papers met the inclusion criteria and were included in the systematic review. The results clearly show the relationship between IPV and various EDs. Being a victim of IPV, in its different forms (physical, psychological and sexual), has been related to disorders such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder. In general, some studies found differences between men and women in the association of the presence of sexual violence and ED symptoms. In conclusion, EDs may be a form of control that individuals exert over their bodies in response to the control exercised by their abusive partners. Addressing the interpersonal sphere by focusing on the management of violent dynamics within the couple is the key to change in individual coping.