Eating disorders in adolescents – Results of the German Health Interview and Examination

Heike Hölling, Robert Schlack, Berlin

Eating disorders are among the most frequent chronic health problems in children and adolescents. Within the frame-work of the German nation-wide Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents 6.634 children and adolescents aged 11–17 answered the SCOFF questionnaire, a screening instrument to identify cases of reasonable suspicion of eating disorders.

In Germany more than one fifth of the children and adolescents aged 11–17 reveal symptoms of an eating disorder. As expected, the proportion of girls who are suspected of an eating disorder (28.9 %) is significantly higher than that of boys (15.2 %). Symptoms of eating disorders are clearly associated with a low socioeconomic status and a migration-family background. Comparing the groups of children and adolescents with and without symptoms of eating disorders according to signs of psychic disorders (SDQ), one finds that the proportion of children and adolescents showing signs of psychic disorders is nearly twice as high in the first group as in the second.

Children and adolescents who are suspected of eating disorders according to SCOFF also show lower values in all aspects pertaining to the quality of life than those who are not. The same becomes obvious from a subjective self-assessment of one’s general state of health: 88 % of those without signs of eating disorders regard their state of health as “very good” or “good”, compared to only 77 % of the group suspected of eating disorders. Around 33 % of the latter regard their state of health as “moderate”, compared to only ca. 12 % of those without signs of eating disorders.

Keywords: children and adolescents, eating disorders, German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents (KiGGS), prevention, SCOFF questionnaire

Sie finden den Artikel in deutscher Sprache in Ernährungs Umschau 09/07 ab Seite 514.