title: Weight-related concerns related to drug use for women in substance abuse treatment: prevalence and relationships with eating pathology.
abstract: Women in substance abuse treatment increasingly report weight-related concerns as motivation for drug use. However, limited research has explored the nature of these concerns or examined whether women in substance abuse treatment with weight-related concerns related to drug use differ from those who do not on variables relevant to eating pathology. Using a sample of 297 women in substance abuse treatment, this study examined two intertwined issues: (1) the prevalence and nature of weight-related concerns related to drug use and (2) whether women who endorse weight-related concerns related to drug use differ from those without weight-related concerns on body dissatisfaction, eating pathology, perceived pressure and internalization of thin-ideal media, and appearance-related drug-use expectancies. Descriptive analyses indicated that the majority of participants were concerned about gaining weight during treatment and/or that weight gain could trigger drug relapse. Analyses of variance revealed that women who reported weight-based concerns (both with regards to weight gain during treatment and relapse potential) endorsed higher levels of body dissatisfaction, dieting, bulimic symptoms, and thin-ideal internalization than women who did not endorse weight-related concerns. Results suggest that substance abuse treatment programs should be aware of and address weight-related concerns around drug use for women.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV 89154, USA. cortney.warren@unlv.edu
authors.forename: Cortney S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Warren
authors.forename: Anne R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Lindsay
authors.forename: Emily K
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: White
authors.forename: Kim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Claudat
authors.forename: Sara C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Velasquez
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001828:Body Image / Q000523:psychology*; D001835:Body Weight; D017831:Diagnosis, Dual (Psychiatry); D004038:Diet, Reducing / Q000523:psychology; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D015995:Prevalence; D012008:Recurrence; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D015430:Weight Gain; D055815:Young Adult