Trends in hospital admissions for eating disorders in a country undergoing a socio-cultural transition, the Czech Republic 1981–2005

Abstract

Temporal association of an increase in admissions with socio-cultural transition suggests that risk of severe ED including AN is culture-dependent.

Binge Drinking and Eating Problems in Russian Adolescents

“…Until now, there has been little research on eating problems in Russia, even though research from another “transition” country in Central and Eastern Europe (the Czech Republic) has indicated that the prevalence of eating problems may have grown substantially in recent years (Pavlova et al., ). This finding might be mirrored in the results from the current study as a large proportion of adolescents expressed concern about their weight and body size (35.0%), engaged in excessive eating behavior (38.9%), and fasting or extreme exercise (22.9%), although fewer vomited or took laxatives to prevent weight gain (2.9%).…”

Epidemiology of Eating Disorders: Incidence, Prevalence and Mortality Rates

“…Recent studies demonstrate that eating disorders and abnormal eating behaviors do occur in non-Western countries and among ethnic minorities [48, 70–74]. An increasing occurrence of eating disorders in non-Western countries has been associated with cultural transition and globalization, including modernization, urbanization and media-exposure promoting the Western beauty-ideal [70, 75–77]. The most comprehensive attempt to quantify eating disorders in a non-Western setting was conducted on the Caribbean island Curaçao (Netherlands Antilles), where the full spectrum of community health and service providers was contacted.…”

The role of genetic variation in the causation of mental illness: an evolution-informed framework

“…15 Perhaps the most striking geographical and cultural differences that cannot be explained as methodological artefacts have been found in the incidence of eating disorders, including anorexia nervosa, which is strongly related to female gender, white ethnicity and exposure to western culture. 24,25 In summary, mental disorders are common and strike early, affecting individuals in their reproductive age. The incidence of many mental disorders varies importantly with time and place.…”

“…A hallmark of disorders with a large aetiological contribution from gene-environment interactions will be marked regional and temporal variation in incidence, such as that detected for unipolar depression 19,20 and eating disorders. 16,25 Quantitative and molecular studies show that geneenvironment interactions are likely to have a major contribution in the causation of depression.…”