Search Results (6)

Restricting food intake before consuming alcohol due to weight concerns or to increase alcohol’s intoxicating effects (food and alcohol disturbance, FAD) is a recognised problem in young American college students, but there is less evidence about whether middle-aged and older adults are also engaging in FAD behaviours. A cross-sectional survey of FAD and potential alcohol problems using validated measures (Compensatory Eating and Behaviours in Response to Alcohol Consumption, CEBRACS; Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, AUDIT-C) was administered online and in two universities in the north of England to adults aged ≥ 18 years old who had consumed ≥ one alcoholic beverage within the previous month. Most of the 488 participants were ≥25 years (73%) and not university students (72%). Overall, 69% of participants engaged in at least one FAD behaviour in the previous 3 months. The youngest age group (18–24 years) was significantly less likely than the oldest age group (53+ years) to never engage in FAD behaviours: alcohol effects OR (CI) 0.05 (0.02, 0.13); bulimia 0.08 (0.01, 0.67); and restriction 0.21 (0.08, 0.52). Nevertheless, 47% of the oldest age group engaged in at least one FAD-related behaviour, and student status was not associated with FAD behaviours, except for alcohol effects. FAD behaviours were engaged in by most alcohol consumers in this study, including middle- and older-aged adults, and non-students. Full article

Background and objectives: Drunkorexia is a novel alcohol-related disorder prevalent among adolescents and young adults. Extensive research on the causes and their relationship is lacking. Identifying these aspects could improve early detection and management by healthcare professionals. The aim of this review was to identify the influencing factors of drunkorexia in adolescents and young adults, as well as the main opportunities for action by health professionals. Methods: A scoping review was conducted in June and July 2024 using three databases (Pubmed, Scopus, and Web of Science). A search and review protocol were established and registered in PROSPERO. The research questions were formulated in Patient, Concept, Context (PCC) formats for an adequate literature review. Original articles from January 2008 to July 2024 were included. Reviews, meta-analyses, and doctoral theses or academic texts were excluded. In the screening phase, a methodological assessment was conducted using the Joanna Briggs Institute’s (JBI) critical appraisal tools to support study eligibility. Depending on the study design, different checklists were used, and cross-sectional studies that received scores of 4/8 or higher, quasi-experimental designs that obtained 5/9 or higher, and qualitative research that obtained 5/10 or higher were accepted. Results: A total of 1502 studies were initially found. After applying the inclusion/exclusion criteria, 20 studies were selected. Complications of emotion regulation, both positive and negative metacognitive beliefs, inability to effectively manage stress and anxiety, symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, self-discipline and self-control, or differences in social expectations are predisposing factors for drunkorexia. The management of malnutrition and dehydration is an opportunity for clinical professionals to address this problem. In addition, mental health issues can provide another opportunity to manage heavy alcohol consumption. Conclusions: Drunkorexia must be recognized as a new disease to be addressed from a multidisciplinary perspective. In this way, increasing research on this trend would support prevention and intervention strategies. The use of digital platforms is essential for raising social awareness of this negative habit. Full article

Food and alcohol disturbance (FAD) is characterized by the association of alcohol use with compensatory behaviors such as restricting calories, physical activity and purging. Despite not being part of the current nosography, research has grown in the past 10 years, mostly on college students’ samples. In this study, we aim to describe the prevalence, characteristics and association of FAD with problem drinking (PD) and eating disorder risk (EDR) in a sample of Italian high school students. Participants were 900 high school students (53.6% males; mean age = 16.22) that were administered standardized questionnaires. Students who screened positive for PD, EDR and both were, respectively, 17.3%, 5.9% and 1.3%. Approximately one out four students reported FAD behaviors, mostly to control weight and by restricting calories, with higher prevalence and severity among those who screened positive for PD. Purging behaviors were rare overall (15.5%), but significantly more frequent in participants who screened positive for both PD and EDR (41.7%). FAD was more strongly associated with alcohol use severity than with ED symptom severity across all subgroups. FAD behaviors appear to be common in the Italian high school population and more strongly associated with PD. Future studies should investigate FAD’s impact on adolescents’ functioning and possible early interventions. Full article

The COVID-19 outbreak negatively affected young adults’ psychological well-being, increasing their stress levels and symptoms of anxiety and depression, and potentially triggering health-risk behaviors. The present study was aimed at investigating the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on alcohol abuse and drunkorexia behaviors among young adults living in Italy. Participants were 370 emerging adults (63% women, 37% men; M_age = 21.00, SD_age = 2.96, range: 18–30) who were recruited through an online survey between November 2021 and March 2022. Participants completed measures of alcohol abuse, drunkorexia behaviors, negative life experiences, and post-traumatic symptoms related to the COVID-19 outbreak. The results showed that the emotional impact and negative life experiences associated with the pandemic predicted both alcohol abuse and drunkorexia behaviors, albeit in different ways. Specifically, the number of negative life experiences during the pandemic and the tendency to avoid COVID-19–related negative thoughts positively predicted alcohol abuse; and the presence of intrusive thoughts associated with the pandemic significantly predicted the frequency of drunkorexia behaviors. Implications for research and clinical practice are discussed. Full article

Drunorexia refers to food calorie intake restriction to prevent weight gain and the desire to enhance the more extensive intoxicating effects of alcohol. The present study aimed to investigate the association of drunkorexia with emotion regulation as well as emotion regulation difficulties across the Lebanese population, and assess disordered eating attitudes as a potential mediator of these relationships. The cross-sectional study enrolled participants (n = 258) from all Lebanese districts. The study was performed through an online survey based on a self-designed and structured questionnaire. The Drunkorexia Motives and Behaviors Scales (DMBS), the College Life Alcohol Salience Scale (CLASS), the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS-16), the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ) and the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26) were used in the present study. The results showed that higher EAT-26 total scores (more disordered eating attitudes) (B = 0.16) and higher DERS-16 total score (B = 0.30) were significantly associated with more drunkorexia motives. Also, higher EAT-26 total scores (B = 0.09) and higher DERS-16 total score (B = 0.17) were significantly associated with more drunkorexia behaviors. In addition, higher EAT-26 total scores (B = 0.10) and higher DERS-26 total score (B = 0.36) were significantly associated with more drunkorexia fails. Furthermore, higher EAT-26 total scores (B = 0.07), and higher DERS-16 total score (B = 0.37) were significantly associated with more drunkorexia during an alcohol consumption event. Higher EAT-26 total scores (B = 0.09), and higher DERS-16 total score (B = 0.22) were significantly associated with more post-drinking compensation. Higher EAT-26 total scores (B = 0.21), higher DERS-16 total scores (B = 0.65) and higher emotion regulation (B = 0.33) were significantly associated with higher CLASS scores. The results showed that EAT-26 total scores partially mediated the association between DERS-16 total score and drunkorexia motives (25.20%), between DERS-16 total score and drunkorexia behaviors (25.16%), between DERS-16 total score and drunkorexia fails (106.87%), between DERS-16 total score and drunkorexia during an alcohol consumption event (11.84%), between DERS-16 total score and post-drinking compensation (22.55%), between ERQ total score and college life alcohol salience (8.35%) and between DERS-16 total score and college life alcohol salience (20.14%). This study highlighted that only emotional regulation difficulties were associated with drunkorexia, whereas emotional regulation was not significantly associated with such behavior. Full article

The objective of this study is to assess the effect of alcohol consumption, anxiety, and food restriction before and after consuming alcohol and body image on the risk of anorexia and bulimia in college students from Tijuana, Baja California, through predictive statistical models. A quantitative, descriptive, and cross-sectional design and a non-probabilistic sample of 526 college students from Tijuana, Baja California, México were used. Application of the scales (with acceptable psychometric properties) was conducted in classrooms. Through path analyses, four models were found with adequate indicators of goodness of fit: (1) risk of anorexia in women [Chi Square (X²) = 5.34, p = 0.376, Adjusted Determination Coefficient (R²)= 0.250]; (2) anorexia risk for men (X² = 13.067, p = 0.192, R² = 0.058); (3) risk of bulimia in women (X² = 3.358, p = 0.645, R² = 0.202); and bulimia risk for men (X² = 14.256, p = 0.075, R² = 0.284). The findings provide empirical evidence for the food and alcohol disturbance model. Full article