B3355 - Anorexia and subsequent smoking cause or correlation - 09/08/2019

B number: 
B3355
Principal applicant name: 
Caitlin Lloyd | School of Policy Studies
Co-applicants: 
Dr Robyn Wootton
Title of project: 
Anorexia and subsequent smoking: cause or correlation
Proposal summary: 

Smoking prevalence is reported to be increased in populations with anorexia nervosa (AN), and engagement in smoking in AN is suggested to result from attempts to control weight. However, both smoking and AN have also been linked with earlier anxiety; thus anxiety may explain the association between smoking and AN. This study will assess the prospective association between AN and subsequent smoking, across three longitudinal waves of data. Models will be adjusted for childhood worry (a symptom central to anxiety disorders), to determine whether AN explains smoking beyond the predictive effects of anxiety pathology.

Impact of research: 
Findings have implications for understanding AN and substance use aetiologies. Such findings may translate into improved interventions, most notably those aimed at preventing multiple adverse outcomes (i.e. eating disorders and substance use) simultaneously.
Date proposal received: 
Thursday, 8 August, 2019
Date proposal approved: 
Friday, 9 August, 2019
Keywords: 
Epidemiology