title: Trying to Lose Weight and Alcohol Misuse Among High School Girls: Findings From the U.S. National 2011 Youth Risk Behavior Survey.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Trying to lose weight has been associated with alcohol use among college-aged females. Excessive drinking along with purging as a method for weight control has been documented in this population. However, little is known about the relationship between alcohol use and trying to lose weight among high school girls.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine the relationship between trying to lose weight and past 30-day (1) alcohol use and (2) binge drinking (separately).
  
  
  METHODS
  Using data from the National 2011 YRBS, we examined these relationships among 5,106 girls aged 14-18+ who reported ever using alcohol. Survey-weighted iterative logistic regression models were conducted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  44.0% of girls reported current alcohol use with 27.8% reporting binge drinking. While a significant relationship was not found between trying to lose weight and current alcohol use in the final multivariable model, a significant relationship was found between trying to lose weight and binge drinking (AOR: 1.24, 95% CI: 1.02-1.52). Additional variables that were found to be associated with an increased odds of binge drinking included: being in 11th and 12th grades compared to being in 9th grade, screening positively for depression, and current cigarette use. Variables associated with a decreased odds included: talking to an adult/teacher about a problem, and identifying as Black/African American compared to White.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Understanding the relationship between trying to lose weight and binge drinking among high school students is important, as these behaviors may be a precursor to risk behaviors later in life and need to be more fully examined.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Public Health and Community Medicine , Tufts University School of Medicine , Boston , Massachusetts , USA.
authors.forename: Anna C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Schlissel
authors.affiliation: a Department of Public Health and Community Medicine , Tufts University School of Medicine , Boston , Massachusetts , USA.
authors.forename: Margie R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Skeer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology; D063425:Binge Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016017:Odds Ratio; D013334:Students; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D000066608:Underage Drinking / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D015431:Weight Loss; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
keywords: adolescence; alcohol; binge drinking; drug and alcohol use; weight loss