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Four simple questions can help screen for eating disorders.

Mary-Anne Cotton1, Christopher Ball, Paul Robinson

  • 1Received from University College London, London. m.a.cotton@doctors.net.uk

Journal of General Internal Medicine
|January 22, 2003
PubMed
Summary

The Eating disorder Screen for Primary care (ESP) effectively identifies eating disorders in primary care settings. This new tool is more efficient than current methods for screening eating disorders.

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Area of Science:

  • Psychiatry
  • Clinical Psychology
  • Primary Care Medicine

Background:

  • Current eating disorder screening tools are often lengthy and lack validation in primary care.
  • Efficient and validated screening methods are crucial for early detection in diverse populations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the performance of the SCOFF (Sick, Control, One stone, Fat, Food) questionnaire and the Eating disorder Screen for Primary care (ESP) tool.
  • To assess the utility of these screening tools in primary care and university student populations.

Main Methods:

  • A comparative study involving 104 primary care patients and 129 university students.
  • The Questionnaire for Eating Disorders Diagnosis served as the independent diagnostic standard.
  • Performance characteristics, including likelihood ratios (LR), were calculated for both screening tools.

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Main Results:

  • The ESP demonstrated high diagnostic accuracy: zero or one abnormal response ruled out an eating disorder (LR 0.0), while three or more abnormal responses strongly suggested an eating disorder (LR 11).
  • The SCOFF questionnaire showed lower sensitivity than anticipated but was equally effective in ruling in an eating disorder (LR 11).
  • Twelve percent of the combined study population met criteria for an eating disorder.

Conclusions:

  • The ESP is a sensitive and specific screening tool for eating disorders, particularly suitable for primary care settings.
  • The ESP offers a more efficient alternative to existing screening instruments for eating disorders.
  • Both ESP and SCOFF can effectively rule in eating disorders when multiple symptoms are present.