Prevalence of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa in a geographically defined area in Japan.

OBJECTIVE

Little has been understood regarding the frequency of eating disorders in Japan. This study was designed to identify the prevalence of anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN) in Japan.

METHOD: We asked doctors in all of the relevant medical facilities (130 hospitals and 1,326 clinics) in Niigata Prefecture to report patients with DSM-IV-diagnosed eating disorders who appeared or were admitted between 20-24 October 1997. The response rate was 94.4%.

RESULTS

The estimated point prevalences of AN and BN were 4.79 and 1.02, respectively, per 100,000 females. Specifically for the age group of 15-29 years, the prevalence of AN was 17.10 and that of BN 5.79.

DISCUSSION: The prevalence of AN and BN in Japan is lower than that for European Caucasian populations. This result may be due to cultural and ethnic differences and/or it may be a transient phenomenon.