Resumen de Drunkorexia: Empirical investigation of the characteristics of the phenomenon in a sample of adolescents and young adults living in northern iitaly
Giada Pietrabissa, Alessandro Rossi, Michela Gaudenzi, Venessa Bertuzzi, Gian Mauro Manzoni, Gianluca Castelnuovo
Introduction: The term “Drunkorexia” indicates the deliberate use of disordered eating practicesas compensation for calories consumed through alcohol. Malnutrition associated with the alcoholeffects causes damage at multiple levels. The recognition of the phenomenon, and the developmentof early interventions and combined treatment strategies are required to tackle its rise. Objectives ofthe present study were to estimate the occurrence of drunkorexia behaviors in a sample of Italiansyouth aged 14-30 and living in Norhern Italy, and to test its association with the presence of disorderedeating patterns. Among those reporting drunkorexia behaviours, reasons for drinking alcoholwere also explored.Methodology: Drunkorexia behaviors, eating habits and reasons for alcohol consumption of 274subjects (183 Female and 91 Male) were investigated in a cross-sectional study.Results: 63.3% of the sample showed tendency to drunkorexia behaviors, which were mainly motivatedby the need to socialize and have fun. The existence of statistically significant - but low -correlationsbetween drunkorexia scores and indicators for the presence of dysfunctional eating habits supportsthe hypothesis that unhealthy eating patterns are possible representations of the disturbance.Conclusions: The present survey showed the presence of drunkorexia behavior among adolescentsand young adults living in Northern Italy, confirming the conclusions reached by the only one nationalstudy already conducted on the topic. Further empirical investigations are necessary for a betterunderstanding of the phenomenon, as well as for supporting the development of interventions forthe prevention and treatment of the disorder.
