Time trends in the incidence of eating disorders: a primary care study in the Netherlands.
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.


METHODS
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.


CONCLUSIONS
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.
van Son
Gabriëlle E
GE
Center for Eating Disorders, Ursula, Leidschendam, The Netherlands. g.vanson@centrumeetstoornissen.nl
van Hoeken
Daphne
D
Bartelds
Aad I M
AI
van Furth
Eric F
EF
Hoek
Hans W
HW
D000293:Adolescent; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D052018:Bulimia Nervosa / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data