Self-Reported Alcohol, Drug, and Eating-Disorder Problems among Male and Female Collegiate Children of Alcoholics

Abstract

This study determined the proportion of entering freshmen who were children of an alcoholic parent (COAs) by using a self-report survey. The relationship between freshmen COAs' own propensity for substance abuse was also investigated. Finally, the validity of two self-report methods of measuring the dependent variable of parental alcoholism was examined. The hypothesis that parental alcoholism increases the likelihood of substance abuse—alcohol, drug, or food—in offspring was supported by the findings. This appears to hold true for both male and female COAs, who reported substantially greater levels of each problem than freshmen without parental alcoholism. Overall, males reported higher levels of alcohol and other drug problems, and females reported higher levels of eating disorders. However, among COAs, proportionately more males than females reported an eating disorder; proportionately more females than males reported an alcohol or other drug problem. Parental alcoholism was also strongly associated with alcoholism among other close blood relatives, supporting the hypothesis that alcoholism tends to run in families. A very straightforward measure of parental alcoholism, i.e., asking the question directly, elicited substantially the same, though a more conservative, estimate of the proportion of students with parental alcoholism in this population than was obtained using the Children of Alcoholics Screening Test, a more indirect measure. In addition, the more direct measure provided additional important information about whether one or both parents was alcoholic, which parent was alcoholic, and the extent of alcoholism among other close blood relatives. This correlational study confirms the need for more extensive research with this high-risk college population.