Prevalence of eating disorders in female and male adolescents (14-15 years).
OBJECTIVE
The main aim of the present study is to establish the prevalence of eating disorders (ED) in adolescents of both genders. To our knowledge, such data have not previously been published using both DSM-IV and DSM-III-R criteria.


METHODS
The study sample consisted of 1960 adolescents (1026 girls and 934 boys), 14-15 years of age. The participants completed the Survey for Eating Disorders (SEDs), including DSM-III-R and DSM-IV diagnoses for all subcategories of ED.


RESULTS
Lifetime prevalence of any ED among girls was 17.9% anorexia nervosa (AN) 0.7%, bulimia nervosa (BN) 1.2%, binge eating disorder (BED) 1.5%, and EDs not otherwise specified (EDNOS) 14.6%. Corresponding numbers for boys for any ED is 6.5%, AN 0.2%, BN 0.4%, BED 0.9%, and EDNOS 5.0%.


CONCLUSIONS
Our prevalence rates on AN, BN, and BED largely support previous school/community-based studies, while our figures on EDNOS were rather high. Generally, we found high numbers for boys with ED.
Department of Neuroscience, Division of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), MTFS, NO-7489 Trondheim, Norway. einar.kjelsas@medisin.ntnu.no
Einar
E
Kjelsås
Christian
C
Bjørnstrøm
K Gunnar
KG
Götestam
D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002032:Bulimia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D012737:Sex Factors