Comorbidities of nervous anorexia and bulimia in pediatrics

Abstract

Introduction: eating disorders should be considered in mental health plans, since it is one of the problems that has experienced the greatest growing in the young population. It is a multifactorial disease that is associated with psychiatric comorbidities such as depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, substance use or substance abuse disorder, and suicide attempts. Objectives: to describe the comorbidities of anorexia and bulimia nervosa in patients older than 10 years, at a Hospital General Pediátrico Niños de Acosta Ñu (San Lorenzo, Paraguay). Methodology: observational, descriptive, retrospective, cross-sectional study of patients older than 10 years who come to a consulted at a Hospital General Pediátrico Niños de Acosta Ñu with diagnosis of anorexia and bulimia nervosa, period 2011-2016. Variables studied: age, sex, origin, years of schooling, reason for consultation, height, body mass index, comorbidity, type of comorbidity. Data analyzed with Epi Info 7 using descriptive statistics. Study was approved by the Institutional Ethics Committee with the release of informed consent. Results: 59 patients with diagnosis of anorexia and/or bulimia nervosa were included. The mean age was 14.7 years, with predominance of females (91.5%), from the Central Department (86.4%). Median age of schooling: 9 years. Main reason for consult irritability (58/59). Presented with risk of short stature and Rev. Nac. (Itauguá) 2019;11(1):17-26 10.18004/rdn2019.0011.01.017-026 short stature of 57.6%. The body mass index was normal in 47.5%. The psychiatric comorbidity was found in 98.3% and depression being the most frecuent (88.1%). Conclusions: the frequency of comorbidity in children was high (98.3%) and the most important was depression (88.1%).