ERIC Number: EJ1310123
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2021
Pages: 8
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0744-8481
EISSN: N/A
Baseline Cortisol Predicts Drunkorexia in Female but Not Male College Students
Oswald, Barbara B.; Ward, Rose Marie; Glazer, Sandra; Sternasty, Katie; Day, Kristen; Speed, Shannon
Journal of American College Health, v69 n6 p625-632 2021
Objective: "Drunkorexia" or compensatory eating behaviors in response to alcohol consumption, resembles a subclinical eating disorder, and is a current public health concern. Eating disorders and alcohol abuse are associated with dysfunction of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA). One index of HPA function is cortisol. As causes of drunkorexia remain elusive, the present study examined cortisol function as it relates to drunkorexia. Participants: n = 73 (49 women) college students. Method: Participants provided daytime saliva samples for cortisol analyses prior to completing an online survey measuring alcohol consumption, drunkorexia, and alcohol problems as measured by the Rutgers Alcohol Problem Index (RAPI). Results: Multiple regressions indicated that baseline cortisol significantly positively correlated with drunkorexia behaviors in women but not men. Higher baseline cortisol and aspects of drunkorexia related to alcohol problems. Conclusion: Programs educating about stress management and health risks of drunkorexia may decrease engagement in drunkorexia behaviors among college students.
Descriptors: Gender Differences, Eating Disorders, Drinking, Alcohol Abuse, Biochemistry, Brain Hemisphere Functions, Student Attitudes, Stress Management, Health Behavior, Risk, Health Education, Body Weight, Undergraduate Students, Measures (Individuals), Prediction, Diagnostic Tests
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A