Alcohol Use and Disordered Eating in a US Sample of Heterosexual and Sexual Minority Adolescents

Abstract

Objective: To expand knowledge of co-occurring alcohol use and disordered eating behaviors (DEB) among sexual minority (ie, nonheterosexual) youth.

Method: Using pooled 2009 to 2015 US Youth Risk Behavior Surveys (322,687 students; 7.3% lesbian, gay, bisexual), multivariable logistic regression models examined the following: (1) associations of age of onset of drinking and past month binge drinking with past year DEB (fasting, diet pill use, purging, steroid use); and (2) effect modification by sexual orientation.

Results: Alcohol use and sexual minority identity were independently associated with elevated odds for diet pill use and purging among female adolescents, and with fasting and steroid use among male adolescents. Odds of fasting increased with greater frequency of monthly binge drinking among heterosexual adolescent female youth, and odds of diet pill use increased with greater frequency of monthly binge drinking among heterosexual adolescent male youth. DEB prevalence was particularly pronounced among adolescents who binge drank and who were not sure of their sexual orientation identity. Among male adolescents not sure of their sexual orientation identity, those who binge drank more than 1 day in the past month had 8.63 to 23.62 times the odds of using diet pills relative to those who did not binge drink, and 13.37 to 26.42 times the odds of purging relative to those who did not binge drink.

Conclusion: More research is needed on psychosocial factors underlying alcohol use and DEB in youth of all sexual orientations.

Keywords: adolescence; binge drinking; eating disorders; sexual minorities.