Ecological Momentary Assessment Studies of Binge Eating in Non-Clinical Populations: A Scoping Review.

Background/

Objectives

Binge eating (BE)-eating an objectively large amount of food with a subjective loss of control-occurs broadly beyond formal eating disorder diagnoses. However, its real-time occurrence in the general population remains poorly understood due to reliance on retrospective, clinic-based self-reporting. Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) captures repeated, real-time reports of BE and may overcome these limitations. This scoping review mapped EMA studies of BE in non-clinical, general population samples, paying attention to population characteristics, methodological approaches, and key findings.

Methods

This review followed PRISMA-ScR guidelines. PubMed and Scopus were searched for studies published between January 2016 and January 2026, with eligibility independently assessed by two reviewers.

Results

Twenty-three studies met the inclusion criteria. Twenty studies (87%) comprised predominantly female samples, and most participants were in their twenties; men, middle-aged adults, and racially diverse populations were underrepresented. Regarding EMA methodology, BE was assessed either by measuring overeating and loss of control of eating separately (15 studies) or through direct, instructed self-report (8 studies); most studies used signal-contingent designs, with response rates generally being between 60% and 85%. Across studies, BE was most consistently linked to negative affect, weight stigma, and body dissatisfaction, while dietary restraint and food insecurity-a more recently emerging focus-were each examined in only one or two studies.

Conclusions

This review maps the range of EMA methodologies used to assess BE, offering a methodological reference point for future studies. However, the existing evidence remains concentrated in young, female, and predominantly White samples, and further research in underrepresented populations is needed to clarify the broader determinants of BE in everyday life.