A Systematic Review of Common Drunkorexia Measures: Examining Gender Differences across Scales

ABSTRCT

Background

Drunkorexia includes calorie restriction, excessive exercise, and/or purging in combination with alcohol consumption. Exploring drunkorexia by gender could inform potential intervention to address varying rates of drunkorexia, blood alcohol concentrations, and alcohol-related consequences.

Purpose

The purpose of this systematic review is to examine potential gender differences in drunkorexia among college students.

Methods

Search engines were used to find studies utilizing college students (2012–2021) and drunkorexia measures, resulting in 22 studies.

Results

Weighted mean scores and independent-sample t-tests of subscales for both the Compensatory Eating and Behaviors in Response to Alcohol Consumption Scale (CEBRACS) and Drunkorexia Motives and Behaviors Scale (DMBS) showed no significant differences between females and males.

Discussion

The lack of difference indicates the need to consider diet, purging, and exercise as separate drunkorexia control techniques as opposed to one drunkorexia construct and indicates trends by gender may have evolved over the last decade.

Translation to Health Education Practice

Understanding the unique direct and secondhand health effects of drunkorexia by gender might assist in counteracting negative alcohol consequences potentially exacerbated by drunkorexia (e.g., overdose, injuries, death), and inform multiple CHES® and MCHES® areas of responsibilities and competencies to improve interventions to reduce risky alcohol consumption among college students.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).