The clinical presentation of Japanese women with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa: a study of the Eating Disorders Inventory-2.
OBJECTIVE
The current study described the clinical presentation of anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN) in Japan utilizing the Eating Disorders Inventory-2 (EDI-2) and assessed whether the clinical profile of eating disorder cases in Japan differs significantly from North American data.


METHODS
Statistical comparisons of Japanese AN, BN, and non-eating-disordered (NonED) EDI-2 data were conducted across diagnostic groups and with the North American standardization sample.


RESULTS
The Japanese diagnostic groups reported significant between-group differences on all eight EDI-2 subscales. Compared with the standardization sample, all the Japanese groups reported significantly greater maturity fears, the Japanese AN-restricting subtype group (AN-R) reported lower levels of drive for thinness and perfectionism, the Japanese BN group reported lower levels of drive for thinness, and the Japanese NonED Group reported lower levels of drive for thinness and perfectionism but higher rates of ineffectiveness.


CONCLUSIONS
Differences between the Japanese and North American groups suggest that certain cultural differences exist in eating disorder profiles.
Pike
Kathleen M
KM
Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032, USA. kmp2@columbia.edu
Mizushima
Hiroko
H
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology*; D001828:Body Image; D002032:Bulimia / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology*; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000208:ethnology; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales