Investigating Sex Differences in Rates and Correlates of Food Addiction Status in Women and Men with PTSD

Overview

Journal Nutrients

Date 2021 Jun 2

PMID 34072212

Citations 2

Authors

Monika M Stojek

Justyna Lipka

Jessica M Maples-Keller

Sheila A M Rauch

Kathryn Black

Vasiliki Michopoulos

Barbara O Rothbaum

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Food addiction (FA) is a dysregulated eating pattern characterized by difficulties in controlling the intake of certain foods. There is an overlap in physical and mental health correlates of FA and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The purpose of this study was to examine sex differences in the rates of positive FA status in individuals with threshold/subthreshold PTSD, and to examine sex differences in the physical and mental health correlates of FA.

Methods: Post-9/11 veterans/service members seeking PTSD treatment were recruited. Participants were diagnosed with PTSD via the administration of a clinical interview. FA status was determined using Modified Yale Food Addiction Scale-2, binary sex and body mass index were assessed with demographics questions.

Results: Nearly half (43%) of the sample were women. There were no sex differences in the rates of FA, with an overall FA prevalence of 18%. There were no sex differences in FA symptom count in the whole sample (M = 1.63) or those with FA status (M = 6.21). Individuals with FA reported higher frequency of disordered eating, higher severity of PTSD, and depression symptoms.

Conclusions: FA should be assessed in tandem with PTSD symptoms, as its prevalence in that sample is higher than in the general population, and it appears to affect both sexes at similar rates.

Citing Articles

Food Addiction Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment: A Protocol for Residential Treatment of Eating Disorders, Substance Use Disorders and Trauma-Related Psychiatric Comorbidity.

Dennis K, Barrera S, Bishop N, Nguyen C, Brewerton T Nutrients. 2024; 16(13).

PMID: 38999766 PMC: 11243105. DOI: 10.3390/nu16132019.

Relationships between alexithymia and food addiction: The Finnish version of Yale Food Addiction Scale and preliminary test of its psychometric properties.

Li R, Kajanoja J, Tuulari J, Karlsson L, Karlsson H, Karukivi M Front Psychol. 2023; 14:1067872.

PMID: 36743252 PMC: 9893275. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1067872.

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