title: Incidence of eating disorders in Danish psychiatric secondary healthcare 1970-2008.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Is an increased focus on eating disorders during the past few decades reflected by increasing occurrence in the psychiatric health service system.
  
  
  METHODS
  All first-time diagnoses of eating disorders identified in the Danish Central Psychiatric Research Register 1970-2008 constitute the present research database. Age-standardized rates per 100,000 inhabitants were calculated and autoregressive models were fitted for males and females separately as well as for in- and outpatients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The incidence of eating disorders diagnosed in Danish psychiatric secondary healthcare has increased considerably during a nearly 40-year period of observation both within the general category of eating disorders and also specifically for anorexia nervosa. The steepest increase is seen within females aged 15-19 years, where the highest incidences are also found. Anorexia nervosa constitutes the vast majority of all eating disorders. Throughout the time interval investigated, the number of males, however, is negligible compared to females. Most patients are seen in outpatient services, increasing towards recent years. However, the number of patients being treated as inpatients has increased linearly through the entire four decenniums investigated.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Changes in registration principles, public awareness and higher acceptance of mental disorders in the public is the most obvious explanation for the incidence increase of anorexia nervosa and other eating disorders. This study does not answer whether there has been an increase in true incidence in the population.
authors: Department of Organic Psychiatric Disorders and Emergency Ward, Aarhus University Hospital, Risskov, Denmark carinagammelmark@gmail.com.
authors: Carina
authors: C
authors: Gammelmark
authors: Aalborg Psychiatric Hospital, Unit for Psychiatric Research, Aalborg, Denmark.
authors: Signe O W
authors: SO
authors: Jensen
authors: Børne-/Ungdomspsykiatrisk Center, Capital Region Psychiatry, Bispebjerg, Copenhagen, Denmark Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.
authors: Kerstin J
authors: KJ
authors: Plessen
authors: Department of Organic Psychiatric Disorders and Emergency Ward, Aarhus University Hospital, Risskov, Denmark.
authors: Søren
authors: S
authors: Skadhede
authors: Department of Organic Psychiatric Disorders and Emergency Ward, Aarhus University Hospital, Risskov, Denmark.
authors: Janne Tidselbak
authors: JT
authors: Larsen
authors: Department of Organic Psychiatric Disorders and Emergency Ward, Aarhus University Hospital, Risskov, Denmark.
authors: Povl
authors: P
authors: Munk-Jørgensen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007297:Inpatients / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D010045:Outpatients / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012042:Registries; D012737:Sex Factors; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: anorexia nervosa; eating disorders; incidence; register research