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Time trends in the incidence of eating disorders: A primary care study in The Netherlands
Author(s) -
van Son Gabriëlle E.,
van Hoeken Daphne,
Bartelds Aad I. M.,
van Furth Eric F.,
Hoek Hans W.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
international journal of eating disorders
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.785
H-Index - 138
eISSN - 1098-108X
pISSN - 0276-3478
DOI - 10.1002/eat.20316
Subject(s) - incidence (geometry) , bulimia nervosa , anorexia nervosa , eating disorders , epidemiology , demography , population , primary care , medicine , pediatrics , psychiatry , psychology , gerontology , environmental health , family medicine , physics , sociology , optics
Objective This Dutch epidemiological study used primary care‐based data to examine changes in the incidence of eating disorders in the 1990s compared to the 1980s. Method A nationwide network of general practitioners, serving a representative sample of the total Dutch population, recorded newly diagnosed patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN) in their practices during 1985–1989 and 1995–1999. Results The overall incidence of AN was stable (from 7.4 to 7.7 per 100,000). However, the incidence among 15–19‐year‐old females increased significantly (from 56.4 to 109.2 per 100,000). The incidence rate of BN decreased nonsignificantly from 8.6 to 6.1 per 100,000. Conclusion The time trend of an increasing AN incidence among the high risk group continued to the end of the past century. The BN incidence did not rise as was expected. © 2006 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 2006