Associations between drinking-related eating restriction behaviors and alcohol outcomes among college students.

UNLABELLED: Eating restrictions and alcohol use are prevalent problems on college campuses. Some students engage in eating restrictions prior to drinking to limit overall caloric intake or enhance intoxication. Limited research suggests drinking-related eating restrictions are associated with unique health risks relative to high-risk drinking alone.

OBJECTIVE

We examined the association between drinking-related eating restrictions and typical past 3-month alcohol consumption (quantity, frequency, binge-drinking, peak drinks) and problems, and assessed whether psychological factors (i.e., self-control, emotion regulation), perceived weight, and sex related to drinking-related eating restrictions.

METHODS

Participants consisted of 611 moderate-drinking college students.

RESULTS

Linear regressions revealed participants who endorsed past-month restricting exhibited higher alcohol use and problems than non-restrictors. Psychological factors and perceived weight were associated with restriction behavior.

CONCLUSIONS

Drinking-related eating restrictions were indicators of higher-risk drinking behaviors. Further efforts are needed to clarify mechanisms that underlie these behaviors.