ADULT
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Eating Disorder Research: Klarman Eating Disorder Center
Weight, Length of Stay, and Readmission Among Patients in Residential Treatment for Eating Disorders
Sherrie S. Delinsky, Ph.D., Dialma Miranda, B.A., Anne Becker, M.D., Ph.D., Sc.M., and Philip Levendusky, Ph.D.
The current study evaluated percent expected body weight (% EBW), length of stay, and readmission among patients in one of the largest studies of residential hospital treatments for eating disorders. Two-hundred fifty-three female patients consecutively admitted to residential treatment in 2003-2006, aged 12-23 (mean = 17.5, +2.5), were assessed. Sixty-four percent of the sample was diagnosed with Anorexia Nervosa (AN), 25% with Bulimia Nervosa (BN), and 11% with Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (EDNOS). Mean length of stay for first admission was 47.6 days (+ 38.5). Length of stay was significantly longer for the AN group compared to the BN/EDNOS group (t (231) = 2.58, p = .01). As for readmissions, 13.6% of patients returned for a second stay, 4.4% for a third stay, 1.3% for a fourth stay, .6% for a fifth stay, and .3% for a sixth stay. Likelihood of readmission was significantly greater for AN than BN/EDNOS (Chi-square= 14.52, p = .000). Mean time to readmission was 139.1 days (+ 139.4) and ranged from 15 to 778 days. Time to readmission was positively correlated with %EBW at discharge (rho=.589, p = .006), suggesting that higher discharge weight was associated with longer time before readmission. There were no significant differences between patients with single versus multiple admissions in % EBW at intake or % EBW at discharge. For AN, % EBW increased significantly from intake (mean = 84.79 + 11.86) to discharge (mean = 91.39 + 7.12) (t (148) = 8.39, p = .000), whereas for BN/EDNOS %EBW decreased from intake (mean = 108.35 + 20.7) to discharge (mean = 97.7 + 37.3) at the trend level only (t (41) = 1.92, p = .06). Patients admitted to residential treatment for eating disorders typically stay about seven weeks. AN is associated with longer stays and greater likelihood of readmission. Higher % EBW at discharge is associated with longer time to readmission.
McLean Hospital Research
| 02/01/2007 | First National Survey on Eating Disorders Finds Binge Eating More Common Than Other Eating Disorders |
| 03/06/2006 | Binge Eating Disorder May Have Genetic Ties, McLean Study Finds |