Binge eating is “the consumption of an objectively large amount of food accompanied by a loss of control and distress.” Binge eating is twice as prevalent among college women than college men and is associated with many other mental health problems, poor academic performance, and suicidal ideation. Research has suggested that binge eating tends to co-occur with problematic alcohol use at high rates. Problematic alcohol use and binge eating are associated with many negative consequences. The goal of the study is to examine the overlap between the two by looking at prospective, bidirectional associations between them and the role of shared risk factors in the relationships between binge eating and problematic substance use.
This study took place over eight months and consisted of data from 302 college women in a more extensive study that examined longitudinal associations between emotion-based factors and risky behaviors among college women. All women were between ages 18 and 25, identified as female, and were at the time enrolled in a psychology course that offered credit for research participation. The Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) was used to assess drinking frequency, quantity, and adverse consequences of alcohol consumption over the past year. The study also measured behavioral and cognitive features of eating disorders and adverse effects such as “irritable” and “nervous.” Impulsive behavior, shame, guilt, and body mass index (BMI) were also measured.
This study suggested that problematic alcohol use did predict subsequent binge eating among college women, but binge eating was not a predictor of problematic alcohol use. Shame was also a significant predictor of binge eating and a moderator of the relationship between problematic alcohol use and binge eating. Higher levels of shame showed that problematic alcohol use was a stronger predictor of later binge eating. This study shows the importance of targeting problematic alcohol use and shame in interventions to help prevent college women from binge eating.
Takeaway: Research has suggested that binge eating tends to co-occur with problematic alcohol use at high rates. Results show that problematic alcohol use did predict subsequent binge eating among college women.