title: Inpatients with eating disorders: demographic, diagnostic, and service characteristics from a nationwide pediatric sample.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study describes the demographic and clinical characteristics of youth hospitalized with an eating disorder, using the Pediatric Health Information System (PHIS) database.
  
  
  METHODS
  Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to examine and compare PHIS inpatients (N = 1,713) with a primary discharge diagnosis of anorexia, bulimia, or eating disorder, not otherwise specified.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of pediatric inpatients with eating disorders, 92% were female and 78% were non-Hispanic white. Their mean age was 15.3 years; 71% had anorexia; 68% had one or more comorbid psychiatric disorders; 53% stayed on a psychiatric unit; the mean length of stay was 15.7 days. Private insurance paid for 55% of hospital stays. Patients without private insurance were more likely than patients with private insurance to be Black or Hispanic and to have comorbid psychiatric diagnoses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study provides new information that can be used by hospitals to anticipate developmental and treatment needs of future inpatients with eating disorders.
authors.affiliation: Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center, and Child Health Institute of Seattle, 4800 Sand Point Way N.E., Seattle, WA 98105, USA. rose.calderon@seattlechildrens.org
authors.forename: Rose
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Calderon
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vander Stoep
authors.forename: Brent
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Collett
authors.forename: Michelle M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Garrison
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Toth
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D015897:Comorbidity; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D019458:Insurance Coverage; D007348:Insurance, Health; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology