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Patterns of co-morbidity of eating disorders and substance use in Swedish females

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 April 2009

T. L. Root ,
E. M. Pisetsky ,
L. Thornton ,
P. Lichtenstein ,
N. L. Pedersen  and
C. M. Bulik
T. L. Root
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
E. M. Pisetsky
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
L. Thornton
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
P. Lichtenstein
Affiliation:
Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
N. L. Pedersen
Affiliation:
Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
C. M. Bulik*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
*
*Address for correspondence: C. M. Bulik, Ph.D., Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 101 Manning Drive, CB #7160, Chapel Hill, NC27599-7160, USA. (Email: [email protected])
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Abstract

Background

Little is known about the association of eating disorder subtypes across multiple categories of substance use in population-based samples. We examined the association between eating disorders and substance use in a large population-based sample.

Method

Female participants (n=13 297) were from the Swedish Twin Registry [Lichtenstein et al., Twin Research and Human Genetics (2006) 9, 875–882]. Substance use was examined in four defined groups – (1) anorexia nervosa (AN); (2) bulimia nervosa (BN); (3) AN and BN (ANBN); and (4) binge eating disorder (BED) as well as a referent group without eating disorder (no ED). Secondary analyses examined differences between restricting AN (RAN) and binge and/or purge AN (ANBP).

Results

In general, eating disorders were associated with greater substance use relative to the referent. The AN group had significantly increased odds for all illicit drugs. Significant differences emerged across the RAN and ANBP groups for alcohol abuse/dependence, diet pills, stimulants, and polysubstance use with greater use in the ANBP group. Across eating disorder groups, (1) the BN and ANBN groups were more likely to report alcohol abuse/dependence relative to the AN group, (2) the ANBN group was more likely to report diet pill use relative to the AN, BN and BED groups, and (3) the BN group was more likely to report diet pill use relative to the no ED, AN and BED groups.

Conclusions

Eating disorders are associated with a range of substance use behaviors. Improved understanding of how they mutually influence risk could enhance understanding of etiology and prevention.

Keywords

Alcoholanorexia nervosabinge-eating disordersbulimia nervosatobacco
Type
Original Articles
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 40 , Issue 1 , January 2010 , pp. 105 - 115
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2009

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