Drunkorexia: Empirical investigation and analysis of the characteristics of the phenomenon in an Italian sample of adolescents and young adults

• Autores: Giada Pietrabissa, Alessandro Rossi, Michela Gaudenzi, Venessa Bertuzzi, Andrea Tagliagambe, Clarissa Volpi, Gian Mauro Manzoni, Roberto Cattivelli, Stefania Mannarini, Gianluca Castelnuovo, Susan Simpson
• Localización: Psychology, Society & Education, ISSN 1989-709X, ISSN-e 2171-2085, Vol. 10, Nº. 3, 2018, págs. 285-299
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • Introduction: the term drunkorexia refers to the act of self-imposed utilization of extreme weight control methods to compensate for alcohol consumption typically observed among university students. Despite its diffusion, there is a lack of research investigating the presence of this new alarming trend in Italy. Aim: this study estimates the frequency of drunkorexia behaviours in a sample of Italian youth aged 14-24, explores the motivations for alcohol consumption among those presenting drunkorexia-type behaviours, and examines the relationship between drunkorexia and disordered eating. Methods: drunkorexia behaviors, eating habits and motives for alcohol use were investigated in 403 subjects (F=301, M=102) aged 14-24 through self-report questionnaires. A series of analyses, including descriptive statistics, univariate analysis of the variance and multiple regressions were run. Results: 62.5% of the sample showed drunkorexia-type behaviours. Drunkorexia was related to disordered eating, especially among females older than eighteen. Discussion and Conclusions: this the first study investigating the incidence of drunkorexia behaviors in a sample of youth living in Northern Italy. Evidence-based interventions for eating disorders and drinking problems should inspire the development of ad hoc preventive and treatment actions for drunkorexia.