Sex differences in the effects of residential treatment on the quality of life of eating disorder patients.
OBJECTIVE
This study compared the effects of residential treatment on improving health-related quality of life (HRQOL) between males and females diagnosed with eating disorders (EDs) from admission to discharge and at follow-up. This study also analyzed the association between changes in HRQOL and changes in the severity of ED pathology, depression, and trait anxiety.


METHODS
145 consecutive patients (34 males and 111 females) admitted to a residential ED unit completed a panel of surveys at admission and discharge. The survey panel included the Eating Disorders Quality of Life Survey (EDQLS), the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire, the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. An online follow-up survey was also conducted for the EDQLS. Mixed-factorial ANOVA was used to examine sex differences and changes in HRQOL between admission, discharge and post-treatment follow-up. Multiple regression analysis was used to investigate the relationship between sex, change in HRQOL, and changes in all other variables studied.


RESULTS
By the end of residential treatment, both males and females had made similar statistically significant improvements in HRQOL from admission to discharge, which persisted after treatment. Greater decreases in ED pathology and trait anxiety significantly predicted greater increases in HRQOL during residential treatment while sex and changes in depression did not.


CONCLUSIONS
The data show that residential treatment is an effective approach to improving HRQOL in both males and females with EDs. Greater improvements in trait anxiety and ED pathology contributed to greater improvement in HRQOL in these patients.
Eating Disorder Center, Rogers Memorial Hospital, 34700 Valley Road, Oconomowoc, WI, 53066, USA, tweltzin@rogershospital.org.
Theodore
T
Weltzin
Pamela
P
Bean
Eric
E
Klosterman
Han-Joo
HJ
Lee
Robyn
R
Welk-Richards
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012114:Residential Treatment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012737:Sex Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult