This study investigated co-occurrence among food addiction (FA), problematic substance use (alcohol, cannabis, cigarettes, nicotine vaping), parental history of problematic alcohol use, and obesity. Participants (n=357) completed self-report measures on food addiction, personal substance use, and parental history of alcohol use. Participants also completed demographic questions and self-reported height and weight were used to calculate BMI. Pearson zero-order correlations were conducted to identify sociodemographic covariates (socioeconomic status, age, and sex at birth). Modified Poisson regression (with robust standard error estimations) were used to estimate risk ratios among food addiction, parental history of problematic alcohol use, personal substance use (alcohol, cannabis, cigarettes, nicotine vaping), and obesity. Significance was set at p<.05. However, given multiple testing, 99% CI estimates are reported in the final manuscript instead of 95% CI estimates. Unadjusted and adjusted (for sociodemographic covariates) analyses were conducted. Risk of food addiction was higher in participants with problematic alcohol, smoking, vaping, parental history of problematic alcohol use, and (in unadjusted only) cannabis use. Risk of food addiction was only higher in participants with obesity after adjusting for covariates. Obesity was not significantly associated with problematic substance use and parental history or problematic alcohol use. Thus, food addiction, but not obesity, co-occurred with problematic substance use and a family history of problematic alcohol use. Results support the conceptualization of food addiction as an addictive disorder.
Hoover, L. V., Yu, H. P., Cummings, J. R., Ferguson, S. G., & Gearhardt, A. N. (2022). Co-occurrence of food addiction, obesity, problematic substance use, and parental history of problematic alcohol use. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors. Advance online publication. DOI: 10.1037/adb0000870
