Prevalence of eating disorder symptomatology among outpatients referred to health promotion from somatic hospital departments

2Citations
Citations of this article
26Readers
Mendeley users who have this article in their library.

Abstract

Background and Aims: All eating disorders (EDs) lead to a significant decrease of health status, psychosocial functioning and quality of life (QoL). Individuals with untreated binge eating disorder (BED) tend to gain weight over time, which may contribute to serious health issues. In somatic hospital departments, some outpatients have reduced compliance with lifestyle changes. This may, to some extent, be due to patients with an undiagnosed ED receiving the incorrect treatment. In this cross-sectional study, we aimed to investigate the prevalence of EDs among patients referred to lifestyle courses. Results: A total of 136 patients referred from somatic hospital departments to lifestyle changes in a specialized hospital unit were included in the study. The response rate was 69.4%. Self-reported ED or sub-clinical symptoms of ED according to the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) were found in 17.65%. Of these, 11.03% fulfilled the self-reported criteria for an ED (BED, 7.35%; bulimia nervosa, 3.68%). Patients with an ED or subclinical ED symptoms had elevated grazing behaviour compared to those without ED symptomatology. A statistically significant difference in QoL was also found. Discussion and Conclusions: The prevalence of self-reported ED or subclinical ED symptoms in patients referred to a lifestyle course is substantial. This ED group had reduced QoL and larger grazing behaviour compared to patients without ED symptomatology. Thus, the prevalence of undiagnosed EDs among patients within somatic hospital departments may be substantial, underlining the importance of screening and further research within this topic. Level of Evidence: Level III, well-designed cohort study. Significance: What is already known on this subject? In a review including populations from Scandinavia, the USA and South America, the estimated BED prevalence in individuals with higher body weight seeking help to lose weight is 13–27% [22]. Dawes et al. (2016) conducted a meta-analysis investigating the prevalence of mental health conditions among bariatric surgery candidates and recipients. They included 25 studies with a total of 13,769 patients and found that the prevalence of BED was 17% (13–21%) [10]. What this study adds? We have identified a group of patients who may be receiving inappropriate treatment with weight loss intervention instead of specialized ED intervention. It appears that this issue is valid in various somatic hospital departments. Thus, this is a field that requires further attention and investigation.

References Powered by Scopus

Research electronic data capture (REDCap)-A metadata-driven methodology and workflow process for providing translational research informatics support

35361Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

The REDCap consortium: Building an international community of software platform partners

13728Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

Global burden of disease attributable to mental and substance use disorders: Findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010

4505Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

Cited by Powered by Scopus

Eating disorder symptomatology among transgender and gender-diverse individuals: a cross-sectional study

0Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

Engagement in binge eating and fasting associated with poorer sleep quality in an online sample of adults

0Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

Register to see more suggestions

Mendeley helps you to discover research relevant for your work.

Already have an account?

Cite

CITATION STYLE

APA

Graungaard, S., Christensen, T. L., Soendergaard, L. N., & Telléus, G. K. (2023). Prevalence of eating disorder symptomatology among outpatients referred to health promotion from somatic hospital departments. BMC Psychiatry, 23(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-023-05331-5

Readers over time

‘23‘24‘2509182736

Readers' Seniority

Tooltip

PhD / Post grad / Masters / Doc 2

50%

Lecturer / Post doc 1

25%

Researcher 1

25%

Readers' Discipline

Tooltip

Medicine and Dentistry 2

33%

Nursing and Health Professions 2

33%

Sports and Recreations 1

17%

Neuroscience 1

17%

Article Metrics

Tooltip
Social Media
Shares, Likes & Comments: 2

Save time finding and organizing research with Mendeley

Sign up for free
0