My current problem definition is
the following: The incidence of
anorexia nervosa and bulimia has increased over the past 10 years in American
women between ages 12 and 25. It is through both passive and active
surveillance that eating disorders are assessed. According to the American
Academy of Pediatrics, pediatricians, who record their patients’ height and
weight through yearly appointments, are often the ones who identify a case of
an eating disorder in their patient. Also, those suffering from an eating
disorder often end up in the hospital, and this is documented by hospital
records. Thus, in this way, the number of cases is not sought out, but rather
is collected through both pediatrician and hospital records. Additionally, as
eating disorders became a pressing public health concern, active surveillance
has additionally taken place. Surveys or questionnaires are sometimes
distributed to high school students to assess the prevalence of eating
disorders in certain communities, for example. Also, studies have followed a
specific group of population to watch for trends of eating disorders and their
development.
According to epidemiologic studies cited by the American Academy of
Pediatrics, the overall number of cases of eating disorders in adolescents has
been on a steady increase since the 1950s. It is estimated that 0.5% of
adolescent females in the US have anorexia nervosa, and that 1% to 5% have
bulimia nervosa. In a specific study conducted in Minnesota, an overall
age-adjusted incidence rate for females coming out at 14.6 per 100,000
person-years during a 50-year period, 1935 through 1984. This, however, does
not include a large number of cases of which show the physical and psychologic
consequences, but do not meet all of the criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition
(DSM-IV) for anorexia or bulimia nervosa. According to an epidemiologic
study conducted by Stanford University and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital,
rates are highest in females in the age group 15 – 19, and that prevalence has
increased from 1935 to 1999 in females 15 – 24. Additionally, studies, such as
a ten-year follow up conducted by the Department of Psychiatry in Minnesota,
show that there is a very high frequency of relapse and a 13-fold increase in
mortality for those suffering from eating disorders.
The rates and indicators listed above have come extremely reliable
sources, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics and Stanford University.
The majority of epidemiologic studies cited in these sources have come through
passive surveillance, mainly through the analysis of hospital records,
pediatrician documents, and physical evaluations. These sources do include some
studies that have female high school students reporting their weight, behavior,
eating habits, etc. as well, which always carries the weakness of not being
100% trustworthy and reliable. Girls may lie or withhold information that could
greatly affect the outcomes of these experiments. Though, the majority of
information does come from medical records, which are very reliable. In addition,
however, it has been stated numerous times in these studies that girls may not
fully meet the criteria for anorexia or bulimia nervosa, and thus are not
counted in statistics, but do show many of the physical and psychological
symptoms and consequences of such a disorder.
Works Cited:
David
S. Rosen. From the American Academy of
Pediatrics: Clinical Report: Identification and
Management of Eating
Disorders in Children and Adolescents. Pediatrics 2010; 126:6
1240-1253;
published ahead of print November 29, 2010.
E. D. Eckert, K.
A. Halmi, P. Marchi, W. Grove, R. Crosby. Ten-year
follow-up of anorexia
nervosa: clinical course and outcome. Psychol Med. 1995 January; 25(1): 143–156.
Lucas,
Alexander R., MD, and Mary Beard, MPH. 50-Year Trends in the Incidence of
Anorexia
Nervosa in Rochester, Minn.: A Population-Based Study. PsychiatryOnline.
American
Psychiatric Publishing, July 1991. Web. 29 Mar. 2013.
epidemiology,
and prognosis (2010)
Nutrition in Clinical Practice, 25 (2) , pp. 110-115.
Hi Alyssa,
ReplyDeleteNice blog this week. A couple comments:
1. You've done a really great job with your citations at the end of the blog, but remember to cite your work internally (aka within your document as well). Usually this is done by numbers if MLA format, or by denoting the last name of the author and date for APA format. So, really, it just shows which references go with which statements of fact if your text. Here's' a website that might help:http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/949/01/
2. You have talked about the incidence of the disease, but what are the indicators of an eating disorder that can be measured? You allude to this, but it's good to talk about it - so, weight, thoughts about food, body image, etc. Are these direct or indirect? What others can be used to screen or diagnose the disorders? You may want to explain the criteria that must be met for a diagnosis of anorexia or bulemia.
You did a great job explaining the magnitude of the problem and the style of your citations is great.
Erin
You did a a great job in explaining statistics about your topic. It is true that there are a great number of ways to collect data and analyze it. I find it interesting that you mentioned that high school aged girls lie about the disorder, which is very true and does effect the information.
ReplyDeleteNice work!