The harmful consumption of alcohol by college students in the United States continues to remain a public health crisis with ramifications spanning far beyond the classroom. The motivating factors and influences behind harmful alcohol consumption in this demographic are large in number and variety, reinforcing the complexity of the issue. Disordered eating behaviors refer to irregularities in food consumption and may or may not entail the diagnosis of an eating disorder. This behavior is also prevalent in college student populations, leading researchers to investigate its etiology. When combing through motivators in young adult behaviors, parental attachment has often been posited as a potential source of behavioral influence. This study aims to characterize the relationship between parental attachment relationships and risky college student drinking and disordered eating behaviors.
The study’s sample was composed of 636 undergraduate students from a state university in the southern United States (N=636, 77% female, 96% full-time students). The participants completed surveys which measured their alcohol use, disordered eating behavior presentation, and parental attachment. Specifically, alcohol use was assessed using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), and disordered eating behaviors were assessed using the Eating Attitudes Test-26 (EAT-26). Parental attachment styles were measured using the Revised Inventory of Parental Attachment which quantifies different scales of trust/avoidance and communication between the participants and their parent/caregiver. The data was analyzed primarily via multivariate regression analysis.
Results of the study found strength of parental attachment to be negatively associated with risky alcohol consumption (p<0.00) as well as dieting behavior (p<0.05). The converse of the aforementioned findings was also found to be true, as the strength of parental attachment declined, risky drinking and dieting behaviors increased (P<0.00 for each).
Takeaway: these results corroborate a body of evidence which suggest parental relationships affect the behavior of children long after they have moved out of the house. When treating students at risk for harmful alcohol consumption, it is important to consider familial backgrounds when assessing risk and developing care plans.