Relationship between Alcohol Consumption and Eating Disorders in the Tunisian Population
M. Turki, I. Mannoubi, F. Sahnoun, M. A. Megdiche, N. Halouani, S. Ellouze, J. AloulouIntroduction
Alcohol consumption is a major public health concern and involves multifactorial determinants. Eating disorders (EDs) have been identified as potentially associated with alcohol use.
Objectives
We aimed to explore the relationship between alcohol consumption and EDs.
Methods
This was a descriptive and analytical cross-sectional study including 161 Tunisian participants. It was conducted through an anonymous online questionnaire (Google Forms). Two validated tools were used: the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) to assess alcohol use and the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26) to screen for EDs.
Results
The mean age of participants was 30,09 ± 8,45 years, with a sex-ratio (M/F) of 0.41.Among the 63 alcohol consumers, the mean AUDIT score was 6.27 ± 5.7, with 15.9% meeting criteria for alcohol dependence. The mean EAT score was 13.6 ± 13.9, with 20.5% at high risk of EDs. A significant positive correlation was found between AUDIT and EAT scores (r = 0.24; p = 0.002). Participants at high risk for EDs showed higher rates of alcohol dependence (9.1% vs. 0.8%; p = 0.003).
Conclusions
Our findings highlighted the co-occurrence of disordered eating behaviors and alcohol use, underlining the importance of cross-screening and integrated therapeutic approaches.
Disclosure of Interest
None Declared