Drunkorexia: empirical investigation and analysis of the characteristics of the phenomenon in an Italian sample of adolescents and young adults

Abstract

<jats:p>Introduction: the term drunkorexia refers to the act of self-imposed utilization of extreme weight control methods to compensate for alcohol consumption typically observed among university students. Despite its diffusion, there is a lack of research investigating the presence of this new alarming trend in Italy. Aim: this study estimates the frequency of drunkorexia behaviours in a sample of Italian youth aged 14-24, explores the motivations for alcohol consumption among those presenting drunkorexia-type behaviours, and examines the relationship between drunkorexia and disordered eating. Methods: drunkorexia behaviors, eating habits and motives for alcohol use were investigated in 403 subjects (F=301, M=102) aged 14-24 through self-report questionnaires. A series of analyses, including descriptive statistics, univariate analysis of the variance and multiple regressions were run. Results: 62.5% of the sample showed drunkorexia-type behaviours. Drunkorexia was related to disordered eating, especially among females older than eighteen. Discussion and Conclusions: this the first study investigating the incidence of drunkorexia behaviors in a sample of youth living in Northern Italy. Evidence-based interventions for eating disorders and drinking problems should inspire the development of ad hoc preventive and treatment actions for drunkorexia. </jats:p>

Food and alcohol disturbance among young adults during the COVID-19 lockdown in Italy: risk and protective factors

“…All data analyses were conducted using SPSS Statistics Version 25.0. Preliminary, consistent with prior research [ 36 , 63 ], gender differences were investigated by conducting a series of one-way analyses of variance (ANOVAs) on the study variables: FAD, alcohol consumption, compensatory behaviors (fasting, vomiting and use of laxatives), living arrangement (living alone and living with family), social support, eating and weight concerns, and BMI self-reported. We carried out a multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) on Emotion Regulation dimensions.…”

Drunkorexia and Emotion Regulation and Emotion Regulation Difficulties: The Mediating Effect of Disordered Eating Attitudes

“…Moreover, previous research has highlighted the association between eating disorder patterns and drunkorexia. For instance, an Italian study revealed that young female adults diagnosed with eating disorders were more subject to indulge in Drunkorexia behaviors [ 25 ]. Furthermore, earlier research on eating disorders suggest that individuals with several types of eating disorders are characterized by emotional regulation difficulties in addition to interoceptive deficits [ 26 , 27 ].…”

Una aproximación al panorama actual de las nuevas formas de consumo de drogas

“…El patrón habitual de la drunkorexia incluye contar las calorías de los alimentos y bebidas que ingerirán, dejar de comer por horas o días enteros previo a la ingestión de las bebidas alcohólicas y, después, incrementar la actividad física para quemar las calorías consumidas en exceso (Martínez, López-Espinoza, Navarro Meza, López-Uriarte y Salazar Estrada, 2014). Parece más común entre las mujeres universitarias entre 18 y 24 años con distorsión de la imagen corporal (Pietrabissa et al, 2018). La drunkorexia puede presentar consecuencias físicas y psicológicas graves (Villarino, 2012).…”