Inpatients with eating disorders: demographic, diagnostic, and service characteristics from a nationwide pediatric...

This study describes the demographic and clinical characteristics of youth hospitalized with an eating disorder, using the Pediatric Health Information System (PHIS) database.

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.

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.

This study provides new information that can be used by hospitals to anticipate developmental and treatment needs of future inpatients with eating disorders.