A call for increased measurement of eating disorders and disordered eating in federal surveillance in Canada.

Abstract

Eating disorders (EDs) and disordered eating present a significant health burden given their prevalence and associated health risks; however, there are notable gaps in population-level surveillance of EDs and disordered eating in Canada. These data gaps limit our understanding of the scope of the problem and present challenges to monitoring trends in EDs and disordered eating in response to changing health and policy contexts, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. We screened Canadian federal health surveillance surveys to identify measures of ED diagnosis, engagement in disordered eating behaviours (e.g. binge eating, self-induced vomiting) and related constructs (e.g. weight perception, body satisfaction). Among adults, there was a 10-year gap in ED measurement, and there has been no assessment of engagement in any type of disordered eating behaviours. Among children and adolescents, there have been recent improvements in the measurement of disordered eating behaviours, but there are no surveys that include measures of binge eating, the most common disordered eating behaviour. National surveillance data assessing EDs and disordered eating are necessary to quantify their burden, assess trends in relation to evolving health and policy contexts and identify individuals who face barriers to seeking treatment services. We conclude by providing recommendations for constructs that should be measured, as well as guidelines for measurement development in conjunction with community members and clinical and research experts.