Problem drinking and symptoms of disordered eating in female high school students

Abstract

Research on the relationship between problem drinking and disordered eating in adolescent girls has produced conflicting results. This study examines this relationship using a state-of-the-art inventory for measuring eating disorder symptoms and a standardized inventory for detecting problem drinking among adolescents. Two hundred thirty-four female high school students (mean age = 15.5 years) completed the Adolescent Drinking Index and the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire. Girls diagnosed with an eating disorder were twice as likely to be problem drinkers than girls who were not diagnosed with an eating disorder. Regression analysis and comparisons of problem drinkers and non-problem drinkers point to the central role of body image concerns and dieting in the association of alcoholism and disordered eating among adolescent girls. Prospective studies are needed to explore the mechanisms underlying the links between drive for thinness and problem drinking.