[Hospitalization of people with eating disorders in Polish general and psychiatric hospitals in years 2003-2007].

OBJECTIVE

Analysis of dynamics of eating disorders hospitalization based on data from Polish general and psychiatric hospitals in 2003-2007.

METHOD

Data was derived from databases of Department-Centre for Monitoring and Analyses of Population Health in National Institute of Public Health-National Institute of Hygiene in Warsaw and Department of Health Care Organization in Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology in Warsaw. Gender, age and patients' place of residence were analyzed in the study. Prevalence rate was used to evaluate of eating disorders hospitalization.

RESULTS

People suffering from eating disorders were hospitalized in general as well as psychiatric hospitals. Females were hospitalized more often than males. Prevalence rate decreased in both kinds of hospitals during analyzed period: about 5% in psychiatric hospitals and about 14% in general hospitals. Among eating disorders, anorexia nervosa was diagnosed most often. Girls suffering from anorexia were most often 14-16 years old. Mean time of hospitalization of people with eating disorders in psychiatric hospitals was twice longer than in general hospitals.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite the increase in eating disorders prevalence rates in young people in the world, the systematic decrease of hospitalization of patients with eating disorders in Poland was observed. The decrease of patients' age was also noticed. Females were hospitalized much more often than males, what was observed in previous study.