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Bulimic Behaviors and Early Substance Use: Findings from a Cotwin-Control Study
Melissa A Munn-Chernoff1,2, Julia D Grant1,2, Kathleen K Bucholz1,2
1Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri.
Alcoholism, Clinical and Experimental Research
|August 7, 2015
Summary
Early alcohol experimentation significantly increases the risk of developing bulimic behaviors in young women. This association suggests causal pathways beyond shared genetic or environmental factors.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Addiction Medicine
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Bulimic behaviors and substance use frequently co-occur, but the underlying reasons are not well understood.
- Investigating the link between early substance use and bulimic behaviors is crucial for understanding their etiology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the association between bulimic behaviors and early substance use.
- To control for genetic and shared environmental factors in this association.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from 3,540 young adult women in the Missouri Adolescent Female Twin Study.
- Assessed bulimic behaviors and substance use using a telephone adaptation of the Semi-Structured Assessment for the Genetics of Alcoholism interview.
- Employed logistic regressions, adjusting for covariates and twin data non-independence.
Main Results:
- Early alcohol or nicotine use was associated with higher likelihood of bulimic behaviors in the general population.
- In monozygotic twin pairs, early alcohol experimentation was linked to a 3.21-fold increased odds of bulimic behaviors.
Conclusions:
- Early alcohol experimentation may causally contribute to bulimic behaviors.
- These findings highlight the role of individual-specific environmental experiences or direct causal pathways.
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