Exploring Food and Alcohol Disturbance (FAD) and its risk factors in a diverse age range sample

Food and Alcohol Disturbance (FAD) refers to a pattern of behaviours characterised by deliberate restriction of food intake, excessive physical activity, or inappropriate purging behaviours to compensate for the caloric intake associated with alcohol consumption. Research on this topic is largely limited to university populations in the US. The current study examined the prevalence of FAD and its associated psychological and lifestyle-based risk factors in a wide age range UK sample. An exploratory online survey was completed by 142 participants (analysed n = 117; 39.54 ± 15.25 years; 90.60% identified as White - English, Welsh, Scottish, Northern Irish or British, 61.54% female) comprising validated scales for measures of FAD, emotion regulation, anxiety, stress and body appreciation. Participants were also asked about their alcohol consumption and how financial considerations formed their decisions around FAD. Age was a significant predictor of FAD engagement, with results indicating that for each additional year of age, scores decreased by 0.27 points on average (B = −0.272, p = <.001), with a moderate effect size (f2 = 0.196). Bivariate correlations revealed gender, age, student status, financial considerations, emotion regulation, stress and anxiety were correlated with FAD. These findings indicate that FAD is not a behaviour restricted to young people only. Findings are consistent with previous research and suggest further exploration in all age groups is warranted if an appropriate intervention is to be designed.