Epidemiology of anorexia nervosa in Japanese adolescents

BioPsychoSocial Medicine

Mari Hotta⁶  Reiko Horikawa⁸  Hiroyo Mabe²  Shin Yokoyama⁵  Eiko Sugiyama⁷  Tadato Yonekawa³  Masamitsu Nakazato³  Yuri Okamoto¹  Chisato Ohara⁴  Yoshihiro Ogawa⁹ 

[1] Health Service Center, Hiroshima University, 1-2-3 Kasumi, Minami-ku, Hiroshima 734-8551, Japan

[2] Department of Child Development, Kumamoto University Hospital, 1-1-1 Honjo, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto 860-8556, Japan

[3] Division of Neurology, Respiratory, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, 5200 Kihara, Kiyotake-machi, Miyazaki 889-1692, Japan

[4] Institute of Women’s Health, Tokyo Women’s Medical University, 9-9 Wakamatsu-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-0056, Japan

[5] Department of Psychiatry, Nagano Red Cross Hospital, 5-22-1 Wakasato, Nagano 380-8582, Japan

[6] Health Services Center, National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies, 7-22-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-8677, Japan

[7] Department of Health and Nutrition, Nagano Prefectural College, 8-49-7 Miwa, Nagano 380-8525, Japan

[8] Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, National Center for Child Health and Development, 2-10-1 Okura, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 157-8535, Japan

[9] Department of Molecular Endocrinology and Metabolism, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8519, Japan

关键词: Japan;    Eating disorder center;    Adolescent;    Prevalence;    Epidemiology;    Anorexia nervosa;   

Others  :  1225785
DOI  :  10.1186/s13030-015-0044-2

 received in 2014-05-19, accepted in 2015-07-16,  发布年份 2015

【 摘 要 】

Background

No epidemiologic survey examining eating disorders in Japan has been done at a national level since 1992. The prevalence of anorexia nervosa, as assessed by questionnaires to hospitals, is thought to be underestimated because patients with anorexia nervosa tend to avoid consultations. In conformity with the School Health and Safety Act of Japan, schools are required to have physicians perform a medical examination of students every year. The teachers in charge of health education and school physicians determine the height, weight, and health condition, and examine the medical records of each student. Therefore, we as members of the Survey Committee for Eating Disorders of the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare conducted an epidemiologic survey using questionnaires sent to schools in seven prefectures to determine the current prevalence of anorexia nervosa among adolescents.

Methods

We sent a questionnaire to elementary, junior high, and senior high schools. Questionnaires contained items on the number of students, patients with anorexia nervosa in each grade who were diagnosed by specialists, and students who the school physician strongly suspected to have anorexia nervosa but who did not undergo a clinical examination in a medical institution.

Results

We found patients of both sexes with anorexia nervosa aged 9–10 years in elementary schools. The point prevalence of anorexia nervosa for girls, including strongly suspected cases, in the three grades of junior high school and three grades of senior high school were 0–0.17 %, 0–0.21 %, 0.17-0.40 %, 0.05-0.56 %, 0.17-0.42 % and 0.09-0.43 %, respectively. We also confirmed a prominent sex difference in the prevalence of anorexia nervosa. The prevalence of boys was one third that of girls in some prefectures. One third to one half of diagnosed and strongly suspected students with anorexia nervosa had not received medical consultation or treatment.

Conclusions

Although the prevalence of anorexia nervosa had regional differences in Japan, it has reached levels comparable to those in Western societies. Because no eating disorder center exists and the treatment environment is poor, national action to address this disease is a pressing need in Japan.

【 授权许可】

   
2015 Hotta et al.

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