Alcohol consumption can be a significant health concern for many college students as some may participate in high risk drinking behaviors which can increase their risk of developing alcohol use disorder. Disordered eating is also a potential issue for college students, and it can often co-occur with alcohol misuse. Drunkorexia is a term that has been used to describe weight management behaviors that coincide with alcohol use. Consuming alcohol on an empty stomach results in a higher blood alcohol content. Therefore, drunkorexia can increase one’s risk of alcohol related consequences such as risky sexual behavior, memory loss, blackouts, and injuries. Researchers have also identified the potential impact of mindfulness (being in the moment) on disorder eating and alcohol related behaviors. This study examines the potential impact of mindfulness on combined alcohol and disordered eating behaviors.
The study’s sample consisted of 344 college students from a midsized midwestern university who completed an online questionnaire. Participants were asked to report how many days per week they have at least one drink, how many drinks they consume on a typical occasion, and the highest number of drinks they have consumed on one occasion in the past 30 days. The Five Facets of Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) was used to assess mindfulness behaviors. Lastly, students were asked about any occasions in which they restricted calories or food on days in which they consumed alcohol using the Drunkorexia Motives and Behavior Scale (DMBS). Data was analyzed using bivariate correlations to evaluate potential relationships between alcohol use, mindfulness, and disordered eating.
Results of the data analysis showed that approximately 26.8% of students indicated limiting calories on intended alcohol consumption days and 17.3% reported drunkorexia behaviors on planned drinking days in the past 30 days. Drunkorexia behaviors and motives were negatively correlated with two aspects of mindfulness: nonjudgmental (forgiveness and understanding towards oneself) and acting with awareness (giving full attention to present moment). Other aspects of mindfulness, such as nonreactivity, observing, and describe, were not correlated with drunkorexia behaviors or motives.
Takeaway: Mindfulness practices may be correlated with combined disordered eating and alcohol consumption behaviors.