Objective: Multiple stressors are critical in the development of eating disorders (EDs). The most widely studied forms of stress associated with EDs are childhood trauma, sexual assault, weight-related criticism, and pressure to obtain the appearance ideals. However, it is unclear how relatively underexplored forms of stress (i.e., sexual minority stress, non-interpersonal trauma, and posttraumatic stress) are associated with EDs in vulnerable populations. Methods: The tripartite influence model of EDs proposes that body dissatisfaction and subsequent ED behavior are the result of social pressure, thin ideal internalization, and social appearance comparison. Study 1 integrated sexual minority stressors into the tripartite influence model in a sample of young adult sexual minority men (n = 479) and women (n = 483) to determine whether integrating chronic stressors improved model explanation of variance. Study 2 examined the association of traumatic events with eating disorders, specifically to differentiate whether war-related trauma, non-interpersonal trauma, non-sexual interpersonal trauma, or sexual interpersonal trauma were associated with EDs in a nationally representative sample of 36,309 US adults. Study 3 examined the longitudinal associations in a network analysis of ED symptoms and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in a sample of US undergraduates (N = 50) with elevated symptoms of these disorders. Results: Study 1 demonstrated that the tripartite influence model and minority stress theory could be successfully integrated and explained more variance in ED outcomes as compared to models that do not incorporate both theories. Study 2 found that sexual interpersonal trauma was significantly positively associated with anorexia nervosa and binge eating disorder (BED). BED was found to be equally associated with sexual interpersonal, other interpersonal, and non-interpersonal trauma. Study 3 found that loss of control eating, concentration impairment related to shape and weight, purging, fear of weight gain, negative alterations in cognition and mood, and body dissatisfaction demonstrated the strongest associations in the network. Discussion: Studies 1, 2, and 3 confirmed that minority stress, traumatic events, and PTSD symptoms are associated with eating pathology. The consideration of these stressors in explanatory models of EDs could help refine prevention and intervention efforts with various vulnerable populations
