Hospitalization trends in Spanish children and adolescents with eating disorders (1998–2007)

The study describes and analyzes the hospitalizations due to eating disorders (EDs) among children and adolescents during 1998–2007 in Spain. We conducted a retrospective study of national hospitalization data using the Minimum Basic Data Set. Hospitalization rates were calculated for EDs among children and adolescents aged 10–18 years. Length of hospital stay (median), psychiatric comorbidities, medical conditions and mortality rates were analyzed. There were a total of 10,569 EDs admissions during the period of study. The median length of hospital stay was greater in patients with anorexia than in those with bulimia (14 vs. 9 days). The most common psychiatric comorbidity was mood disorders. The estimated incidence due to anorexia did not change significantly over the period of study. We provide clinical profile about Spanish children and adolescents who are hospitalized with EDs.