Traumatic stress and alcohol-related disordered eating in a college sample

Abstract

Objective

The current study examined the association between posttraumatic stress symptoms and disordered eating behaviors related to alcohol consumption (i.e., “drunkorexia”). Participants: Participants were 478 undergraduate students at a university in the southeastern United States. Method: Participants completed online self-report questionnaires related to alcohol-related disordered eating and compensatory behaviors, posttraumatic stress symptoms, problematic drinking, and weight and shape concerns. Results: Results found that posttraumatic stress symptoms, body weight and shape concerns, and problematic drinking were independent predictors of alcohol-related disordered eating. Conclusion: These findings confirm previous research that symptoms of eating disorders and symptoms of problem drinking predict disordered eating patterns surrounding alcohol use and further indicate that trauma may play an important role in such behaviors. Results have implications for trauma-informed treatment for college students presenting with “drunkorexia.”

Keywords:

• Alcohol
• disordered eating
• drunkorexia
• trauma

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge Caleb Hightower, Emily Barnett, and Ryan Ingram for their hard work collecting data for this project.

Conflict of interest disclosure

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors confirm that the research presented in this article met the ethical guidelines, including adherence to the legal requirements, of the United States of America and received approval from the Institutional Review Board of the University of Alabama.

Additional information

Funding

No funding was used to support this research and/or the preparation of the manuscript.