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Prevalence of three bulimia syndromes in the general population

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

John A. Bushnell ,
J. Elisabeth Wells ,
Andrew R. Hornblow ,
Mark A. Oakley-Browne  and
Peter Joyce
John A. Bushnell*
Affiliation:
Departments of Community Health and General Practice, Psychological Medicine, Christchurch School of Medicine, University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand
J. Elisabeth Wells
Affiliation:
Departments of Community Health and General Practice, Psychological Medicine, Christchurch School of Medicine, University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand
Andrew R. Hornblow
Affiliation:
Departments of Community Health and General Practice, Psychological Medicine, Christchurch School of Medicine, University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand
Mark A. Oakley-Browne
Affiliation:
Departments of Community Health and General Practice, Psychological Medicine, Christchurch School of Medicine, University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand
Peter Joyce
Affiliation:
Departments of Community Health and General Practice, Psychological Medicine, Christchurch School of Medicine, University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand
*
1Address for correspondence: John Bushnell, Department of Community Health and General Practice, Christchurch School of Medicine, University of Otago, PO Box 4345, Christchurch, New Zealand.
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Synopsis

Prevalence of bulimia was estimated from a cross-sectional general population survey of 1498 adults, using the Diagnostic Interview Schedule (DIS) administered by trained lay interviewers. Lifetime prevalence of the DSM-III syndrome in adults aged 18–64 was 1·0% and this was concentrated in young women: in women aged 18–44 lifetime prevalence was 2·6%, and 1·0% currently had the disorder. Based on clinicians' reinterviews of random respondents and identified and marginal cases, the prevalence of current disorder using criteria for draft DSM-III-R bulimia was 0·5%, for DSM-III it was 0·2%, and for Russell's Criteria bulimia nervosa 0·0%. A strong cohort effect was found, with higher lifetime prevalence among younger women, which is consistent with a growing incidence of the disorder among young women in recent years. Although elements of the syndromes were so common as to suggest that dysfunctional attitudes to eating and disturbed behaviour surrounding eating are widespread, there was little evidence of the bulimia syndrome having become an epidemic on the scale suggested by early reports.

Type
Original Articles
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 20 , Issue 3 , August 1990 , pp. 671 - 680
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1990

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