Characteristics of eating disorders in a university hospital-based Spanish population

Abstract

Objective: To describe the personal and family antecedents and clinical characteristics of patients with eating disorders (EDs) in a population of the south of Spain; to analyse the influence of lifestyles, family functioning, socioeconomic status (SES), and psychological characteristics in these processes. Design: A university-based case-control study. Setting: University Hospital (Andalusia, Spain). Subjects: A total of 120 patients with EDs and 240 controls. Interventions: SCOFF, EDI, APGAR family, and SES questionnaires. Results: In all, 67.5% of patients presented anorexia (AN), 15% bulimia (BN), and 17.5% mixed forms. EDs emerged at around 18-20 y (95% CI 17.9-19.8). Factors associated with EDs are psychiatric conditions (depression OR: 4.16, anxiety OR: 4.59), more frequent use of medication (OR: 2.26), dietary fibre (OR: 2.59), and laxatives (OR: 3.47). Toxics consumption, sport activity, SES, and family antecedents of pathology are not associated with EDs. An inverse relationship was found between family functioning and the scores in various subscales of the EDI. Conclusions: Eating disorders in Andalusia (Spain) are influenced significantly more by psychological, family, and cultural factors than by social factors. © 2005 Nature Publishing Group. All rights reserved.