Smoking, drinking, and food addiction among youth in Sivas, Türkiye

OpenAlex İngilizce

Aim: Substance abuse is a major issue. The change in eating habits worldwide and the increasing interest in convenience foods are also important issues. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between the degree of nicotine dependence, alcohol consumption, and food addiction in young people. It also aimed to assess the role of impulsivity as a mediating variable in this relationship. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted with 533 students. Data were collected online using the questionnaire form, Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence Test (FTND), Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT-C), UPPS Impulsive Behaviour Scale, and Yale Food Addiction Scale. Correlation, MANCOVA, and mediated regression analysis (Hayes, Model 4) were used to analyze the data. Results: The study involved 79% female and 21% male participants. The prevalence of smoking and alcohol consumption among the participants was 21.2% and 15.8%, respectively. The prevalence of severe food addiction was estimated at 5.4%. The findings of this study indicate that sex has a significant effect on alcohol consumption and degree of nicotine dependence, with these effects varying depending on impulsive behavior characteristics. The results of the mediated regression analysis also demonstrate that the degree of nicotine dependence has a significant effect on food addiction depending on impulsive behaviors, although this effect is not significant for alcohol use. Conclusion: The findings of our study indicate that legal substance use and food addiction are prevalent among young people. Furthermore, our results demonstrate a significant correlation between the degree of nicotine dependence and food addiction, which can be attributed to impulsive behaviors. Further research, including the use of different techniques, is required in order to obtain more concrete and reliable information on this subject.