Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The health-related quality of life in eating disorders

  • Published:
Quality of Life Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objective: This study investigated the perception of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in ambulatory patients with eating disorders in relation to the severity of eating symptomatology and psychological comorbidity. Methods: One hundred ninety-seven study patients were consecutively recruited at the Eating Disorders Outpatient Clinic. Short Form-36 items (SF-36), a generic HRQoL questionnaire, the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-40), and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HAD) were used to measure different aspects of HRQoL. The results of the SF-36 were compared with the norms of the Spanish general population for women 18–34 years of age. Results: Patients with eating disorders were more dysfunctional in all areas of the SF-36 compared with women in the general population. There were no differences among the eating disorder diagnostic groups. Higher scores on the EAT-40 and the HAD were associated with a perception of greater impairment on all SF-36 subscales. Conclusion: The evaluation of HRQoL in these patients confirms the impact of these disorders on daily life in areas not directly related to eating disorders. The SF-36 is useful for discriminating among different levels of severity of eating disorders and other psychological comorbidities of these patients.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Van Hoeken D, Lucas AR, Hoek HW. Epidemiology. In: Hoek HW, Treasure JL, Katzman MA (eds). Neurobiology in the Treatment of Eating Disorders. Chichester, England: John Wiley & Sons, 1998: 97–126.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Lucas AR, Beard CM, O'Fallon WM, Kurland LT. 50-Year trends in the incidence of anorexia nervosa in Rochester, Minn.: A population based-study. Am J Psychiatry 1991; 148: 917–922.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Turnbull S, Ward A, Treasure J, Jick H, Derby L. The demand for eating disorder care. An epidemiological study using the General Practice Research Database. Br J Psy-chiatry 1996; 169: 705–712.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Steinhausen H-Ch. The course and outcome of anorexia nervosa. In: Brownell KD, Fairburn ChG (eds). Eating Disorders and Obesity. A Comprehensive Handbook. New York: Guilford Press, 1995: 234–237.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Hsu LKG. Outcome of bulimia nervosa. In: Brownell KD, Fairburn Ch G (eds). Eating Disorders and Obesity. A Comprehensive Handbook. New York: Guilford Press, 1995: 238–244.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Testa MA, Simonson DC. Assessment of quality of life outcomes. N Engl J Med 1996; 334: 835–840.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Keilen M, Treasure T, Schmidt U, Treasure J. Quality of life measurements in eating disorders, angina, and transplant candidates: Are they comparable? J Royal Soc Med 1994; 87: 441–444.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Spitzer RL, Kroenke K, Linzer M. Health-related quality of life in primary care patients with mental disorders. Results from the Prime-ID 1000 study. JAMA 1995; 274: 1511–1517.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statisti-cal Manual of Mental Disorders. 4th edn. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association, 1994.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Ware JE Jr, Snow KK, Kosinski MA, Gandek B. SF-36 Health Survey, Manual, and Interpretation Guide. Boston: The Health Institute, New England Medical Center, 1993.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Alonso J, Prieto L, Anto JM. La version española del SF-36 Health Survey (Cuestionario de Salud SF-36): Un instrumento para la medida de los resultados clinicos. Med Clin (Barc) 1995; 104: 771–776.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Ware JE, Kosinski MA, Keller SD. SF-36 Physical and Mental Health Summary Scales. A User's Manual. Boston: The Health Institute, New England Medical Center, 1994: 6, 7.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Stansfeld SA, Roberts R, Foot SP. Assessing the validity of the SF-36 General Health Survey. Qual Life Res 1997; 6: 217–224.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Castro J, Toro J, Salamero M, Guimera E. The Eating Attitudes Test: Validation of the Spanish version. Psychol Assess 1991; 7: 175–190.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Garner DM, Garfinkel PE. Eating Attitudes Test: An index of the symptoms of anorexia nervosa. Psychol Med 1979; 9: 273–279.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Zigmond AS, Snaith RP. The hospital anxiety and depression scale. Acta Psychiatr Scand 1983; 67: 361–370.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Comeche MI, Diaz MI, Vallejo MA. Cuestionarios, inventarios y escalas. ansiedad, depresion y habilidades sociales. Madrid: Fundacion Universidad-Empresa, 1995: 82–86.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Herrmann C. International experiences with the hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale – a review of validation data and clinical results. J Psychoso Res 1997; 42(1): 17–41.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Alonso J, Regidor E, Barrio G, Prieto L, Rodriguez C, De La Fuente L. Valores poblacionales de referencia de la version española del cuestionario de salud SF-36. Med Clin (Barc) 1998; 111: 410–416.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Sullivan PF, Bulik CM, Fear JL, Pickering A. Outcome of anorexia nervosa: A case–control study. Am J Psychiatry 1998; 155: 939–946.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Zipfel S, Specht T, Herzog W. Medical complications of eating disorders. In: Hoek HW, Treasure JL, Katzman MA (eds). Neurobiology in the Treatment of Eating Disorders. Chichester, England: John Wiley & Sons, 1998: 457–484.

    Google Scholar 

  22. De Zwaan M, Biener D, Bach M, Wiesnagrotzki S, Stacher G. Pain sensitivity, alexithymia, and depression in patients with eating disorders. Are they related? J Psychosom Res 1996; 41(1): 65–70.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Lautenbacher S, Pauls AM, Strian F, Pirke KM, Krieg JC. Pain perception in patients with eating disorders. Psycho-som Med 1990; 52(6): 673–682.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Steinhausen H-Ch. Eating disorders. In: Steinhausen H-Ch, Verhulst F (eds). Risks and Outcomes in Developmental Psychopatology. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999: 210–230.

    Google Scholar 

  25. Johnson CL, Berndt DJ. Preliminary investigation of bulimia and life adjustment. Am J Psychiatry 1983; 140: 774–777.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Norman DK, Herzog DB. Persistent social maladjustment in bulimia. A one-year follow-up. Am J Psychiatry 1984; 141: 444–446.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Herzog DB, Keller MB, Lavori PW, Ott LL. Social impair-ment in bulimia. Int J Eating Disorders 1987; 6: 741–747.

    Google Scholar 

  28. Norman DK, Herzog DB. A three-year outcome study in normal-weight bulimia. Assessment of psychosocial func-tioning and eating attitudes. Psychiatry Res 1986; 19: 199–205.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Bohle A, Von Wieterstein J, Wilke E, Feiereis H. Social integration of patients with anorexia nervosa and bulimia. Zeitung FuÈ r Psychosomatische Medizin Und Psychoanalyse 1991; 37: 282–291.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Russo J, Trujillo CA, Wingerson D, et al. The MOS 36-item short form health survey. Reliability, validity, and preliminary findings in schizophrenic outpatients. Med Care 1998; 36: 752–756.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Sherbourne CD, Wells KB, Judd LL. Functioning and well-being of patients with panic disorder. Am J Psychiatry 1996; 153: 213–218.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Hsu LKG. Outcome studies in patients with eating disorders. In: Mirin SM, Gossett JT, Grob MC (eds). Psychiatric Treatment. Advances in Outcome Research. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Press, 1991: 159–180.

    Google Scholar 

  33. Miller PM. Rede®ning success in eating disorders. Addict Behav 1996; 6: 745–754.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Van Furth EF. The treatment of anorexia nervosa. In: Hoek HW, Treasure JL, Katzman MA (eds), Neurobiology in the Treatment of Eating Disorders. Chichester, England: John Wiley & Sons, 1998: 315–330.

    Google Scholar 

  35. Yager J. The treatment of patients with intractable eating disorders. In: Brownell KD, Fairburn Ch G (eds). Eating Disorders and Obesity. A Comprehensive Handbook. New York: Guilford Press, 1995: 374–378.

    Google Scholar 

  36. Vandereycken W, Vanderlinden J. Denial of illness and the use of self-reporting measures of anorexia nervosa patients. Int J Eating Disorders 1983: 2: 101–107.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Psychiatric Service, Galdakao Hospital, Bizkaia, Spain

    A. Padierna & Mª J. Horcajo

  2. Clinical Epidemiology Unit, Galdakao Hospital, Bizkaia, Spain

    J. M. Quintana, I. Arostegui & N. Gonzalez

Authors
  1. A. Padierna
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. J. M. Quintana
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. I. Arostegui
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. N. Gonzalez
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Mª J. Horcajo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Padierna, A., Quintana, J.M., Arostegui, I. et al. The health-related quality of life in eating disorders. Qual Life Res 9, 667–674 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1008973106611

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1008973106611

Search

Navigation