Cross-sectional survey studies have shown very high rates of coprevalence of eating disorders and substance abuse in young women dieters. Animal studies have suggested that increased drug intake may be caused by food deprivation. Because the onset of clinically significant eating disorders usually antedates the onset of clinically significant substance abuse in patient populations with both disorders, we hypothesize that caloric restriction among young women dieters leads to increased development of substance abuse problems. A preliminary, longitudinal study conducted at the University of Michigan has documented the prevalence of dieting and bulimic behaviors in freshman women as well as the number of incident cases of bulimia nervosa occurring during the freshman year. A preliminary study by the PI shows further that women with a history of bulimic behaviors, but without meeting DSM III R criteria for bulimia nervosa, use substances in a more pathological manner than do subjects without bulimic behaviors. However, no data exist on the role that dieting and bulimic behaviors play in the development of substance use in young women. Such an investigation of the etiology of this clinical phenomenon of comorbidity would require the prospective assessment of dieting severity, bulimic behaviors, and substance use during a period of maximum risk (i.e. the college years). We propose to carry out a longitudinal, three-wave survey study of dieting behaviors and substance use in a large cohort of college women. The results of this study should better define the relationships between dieting behaviors, subclinical bulimic behaviors, the clinical syndrome of bulimia nervosa and drug and alcohol use. The validity and clinical significance of the survey results will be, in part, determined by a parallel, smaller study of severe dieters and nondieters using structured interviews. The data will allow us to: (1) use assessments of dieting and eating behavior to identify women at high risk for future substance abuse; (2) design substance abuse prevention programs targeted at young women who diet severely; and (3) include interventions designed to decrease dieting in the treatment of female substance abusers.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
7R01DA006791-03
Application #
3213506
Study Section
Clinical and Treatment Subcommittee (ALCP)
Project Start
1991-01-01
Project End
1993-12-31
Budget Start
1992-07-01
Budget End
1992-12-31
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
1992
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Wisconsin Madison
Department
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
161202122
City
Madison
State
WI
Country
United States
Zip Code
53715
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Saules, Karen K; Pomerleau, Cynthia S; Snedecor, Sandy M et al. (2004) Relationship of onset of cigarette smoking during college to alcohol use, dieting concerns, and depressed mood: results from the Young Women's Health Survey. Addict Behav 29:893-9
Gosnell, B A; Krahn, D D (1998) Taste and diet preferences as predictors of drug self-administration. NIDA Res Monogr 169:154-75
Drewnowski, A; Kurth, C L; Krahn, D D (1995) Effects of body image on dieting, exercise, and anabolic steroid use in adolescent males. Int J Eat Disord 17:381-6
Drewnowski, A; Kurth, C L; Krahn, D D (1994) Weight-loss strategies of young adults: exercise versus dieting. Obes Res 2:557-61
Drewnowski, A; Kurth, C L; Krahn, D D (1994) Body weight and dieting in adolescence: impact of socioeconomic status. Int J Eat Disord 16:61-5
Krahn, D; Kurth, C; Demitrack, M et al. (1992) The relationship of dieting severity and bulimic behaviors to alcohol and other drug use in young women. J Subst Abuse 4:341-53