*3.1. Group Comparisons of Study Variables in Obese Adults Seeking Bariatric Surgery (with Binge Eating Disorder (BED) and without BED (wBED))*

The stratification procedure based on the BES score (cutoff = 18) led to the identification of a group of 27 participants with BED and a group of 94 participants without BED (wBED) and to a prevalence of BED of 22.31%. There were no significant differences between BED and wBED groups with regard to current body mass index (kg/m2; mean <sup>±</sup> SD) (45.83 <sup>±</sup> 8.21 in the BED group and 44.66 <sup>±</sup> 7.38 in the wBED group, *<sup>p</sup>* <sup>=</sup> 0.513) and maximum body mass index (kg/m2; mean <sup>±</sup> SD) (48.19 <sup>±</sup> 9.65 in the BED group and 46.87 ± 7.74 in the wBED group, *p* = 0.806). The comparison of demographic and clinical characteristics of the two groups is presented in Table 1.


**Table 1.** Comparison of sociodemographic and clinical characteristics in obese adults seeking bariatric surgery using univariate analyses (with binge eating disorder (BED) and without BED (wBED)).

Note. Data presented as mean ± sd for quantitative variables and percentages for qualitative variables. BITE: Bulimic Investigatory Test, Edinburgh; DEBQ: Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire; DERS: Difficulty in Emotion Regulation Scale; UPPS-P: UPPS Impulsive Behavior Scale.

In the univariate analysis, patients with BED showed significantly higher levels of depression, anxiety, eating-disorder symptoms (i.e., Emotional eating, External eating, BITE Symptom score, and BITE Severity score), emotion dysregulation, and impulsivity than patients without BED. In the multivariable analysis, the BITE symptom subscale and limited access to emotional regulation Strategies were significantly associated with BED with adjusted odds ratios (OR) of 1.517 (1.241–1.990), *p* < 0.001, and 1.176 (1.023–1.389), *p* = 0.03, respectively (Tables 1 and 2).


**Table 2.** Comparison of sociodemographic and clinical characteristics in obese adults seeking bariatric surgery using multivariable analyses (with binge eating disorder (BED) and without BED (wBED)).

Note. Data presented as mean ± sd for quantitative variables and percentages for qualitative variables. OR: odds ratio; BITE: Bulimic Investigatory Test, Edinburgh; DERS: Difficulty in Emotion Regulation Scale; UPPS-P: UPPS Impulsive Behavior Scale. In the final multivariable model using logistic regression modeling (BED and wBED categories as the dependent variables), potential covariates were age (years), sex (female: 2, male: 1), Beck Depression Inventory score, STAI-A score, STAI-B score, BITE subscales scores, Emotional eating score, External eating score, Non-acceptance score, Goals score, Impulse score, Strategies score, Clarity score, Negative Urgency score, Positive Urgency score, Lack of Premeditation score, and Lack of Perseverance score. Only significant adjusted ORs are presented.
