Sex and Racial Differences in Patterns of Disordered Eating and Alcohol Use

Abstract

The present study aimed to determine how young adults’ use of disordered eating behaviors (DEBs) and alcohol uniquely cluster with one another, how these clusters differ by sex and race, and map onto health-related correlates. As a part of a cross-sectional study assessing college student health and experiences, female (n = 1,026), male (n = 336), White (n = 640), and Black (n = 561) young adult college students at three universities (M age = 20.54, SD = 1.80) completed measures assessing DEBs and alcohol use, and physical and mental health. Multigroup mixture modeling was used to identify subgroups of female, male, White, and Black young adults that are characterized by different levels of DEBs (fasting, food avoidance, loss of control eating, overeating) and alcohol use (binge drinking, drinking quantity). Whether group membership relates to theoretically and clinically relevant health correlates (stress, depressive symptoms, sleep health) was examined via auxiliary analyses. Qualitative and quantitative differences were identified in the best-fitting mixture models for female (four groups), male (four groups), White (five groups), and Black (three groups) participants that suggest sex and racial variations exist in patterns of DEBs and alcohol use severity. Generally, classification in groups characterized by moderate to high probabilities of DEBs only, or the combination of moderate to high DEBs and alcohol use, was associated with worse affective concerns across sexes and races. Targeting young adults’ DEBs and alcohol use via diversity-informed treatments focused on coping skill development may help promote health and well-being.