Binge Eating and Binge Drinking in Emerging Adults During COVID-19 Lockdown in Italy: An Examination of Protective and Risk Factors

Abstract

This study investigated binge behaviors during COVID-19 lockdown in Italy, exploring individual and contextual risk factors. Participants were 1925 emerging adults ( M age = 24.18, SD age = 2.75; 71.9% women), recruited during the national lockdown in Italy. An online survey investigated binge behaviors both prior and during quarantine. Binge drinking significantly diminished during quarantine, while binge eating episodes did not vary in frequency. However, participants with pre-existent binge eating disorder (BED) reported a worsening in BED symptoms. Lower education, lower SES, job suspension due to lockdown, and higher pandemic-related stress were associated to an increase in binge behaviors during home confinement, whereas living with family was a protective factor. Participants reporting co-occurrent binge behaviors also had significantly higher pandemic-related stress and lower perceived support during home confinement, in comparison with no-binge participants. The study provides new insights about protective and risk factors for binge behaviors in emerging adults during COVID-19 lockdown.