Exploring the burden of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa in Mexico, 1990–2021

Abstract

Background: Eating disorders (ED) have been on the rise in both high-income and middle-income countries. The objective of this study is to analyze the burden of eating disorders (ED) due anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN) in Mexico at the national and subnational levels between 1990 and 2021 and to measure the correlation between disability-adjusted life years (DALY) with the socio-demographic index (SDI) and with the healthcare access and quality index (HAQI) for both 1990 and 2021. Methods: This was a secondary analysis of the GBD 2021. The DALY number and age-standardized rate (ASR) were analyzed for 1990, 2005, 2019, and 2021. The data were disaggregated by sex, age groups, and subcauses (AN and BN) at national and subnational levels. Results: In Mexico, the ASR DALY due to ED increased by 50.2% and 49.6% between 1990 and 2021. In all states and for all years, women had higher ASR DALY due to ED than men. The ASR DALY was also higher for BN than for AN. A positive and significant correlation existed between ASR DALY due to ED and the SDI and HAQI. Conclusions: ED due AN and BN represents a significant burden for individuals under 50 years old in Mexico. There are wide disparities between states and heterogeneous patterns by sex, age groups, and subcauses. Prioritizing this issue on the country’s public policy agenda is crucial.