Presence of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa in Jamaica

ABSTRACT

We could find no previous data describing the extent to which eating disorders are a public health problem in Jamaica, and so we carried out two exercises to assess this. We investigated the number of cases of anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN) presenting at the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) between 1985 and 1998, using case records, and carried out a survey among health professionals (psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, paediatricians and nutritionists/dietitians) to determine the number of patients with eating disorders seen by them between 1996 and 1998. We also examined the diagnostic criteria used and correlates of eating disorders. Only two cases of AN were treated at UHWI. Eleven cases each of AN and BN (two males) had presented to the health professionals surveyed, chiefly the psychiatrists. The AN patients ranged in age from 14 to 28 years (mean 20.9 years), and the BN patients from 11 to 35 years (mean 22.2 years). Eating disorders were reported primarily among urban dwellers (76), and half of the cases were among students. Limiting food intake, excessive exercise and vomiting were the most frequently used methods of weight control. Nine eating disorder patients (41) were also diagnosed with depression, and five (23) patients reported previous emotional trauma. The occurrence of eating disorders in Jamaica appears to be very low.