Incidence and prevalence of eating disorders among active duty US military-dependent youth from 2016 to 2021.
Katherine A ThompsonVivian BaumanKevin W SunderlandJennifer A ThorntonNatasha A SchveyRachel MoyerNana Amma SekyereWendy FunkVeronika PavRick BrydumDavid A KleinJason M LavenderMarian Tanofsky-KraffPublished in: The International journal of eating disorders (2023)
Children of US military service members may be at increased risk for eating disorders. Results indicate new-onset eating disorder cases increased 65% from 2016 to 2021, primarily among girls compared to boys. The most diagnosed and fastest growing diagnosis was other-specified eating disorder. Rates of anorexia nervosa increased following the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings highlight the need for eating disorder screening, identification, and treatment within the military healthcare system.