Abstract
Background: Results of previous studies have shown a significant association between alcohol abuse and eating disorders. Objectives: The aim of this study is to verify the association between the alcohol abuse and eating disorders by detecting the prevalence of anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder in women who are receiving the treatment for alcohol abuse.
Methods: The survey includes 51 women hospitalized for alcohol abuse in the Psychiatric Hospital Bohnice. The data were obtained during a questionnaire survey using the Munich Eating Disorder Questionnaire.
Results: Thirteen women in the sample (25.5%) have had an experience with eating disorders at some point of life. Currently, eating disorders occur in every fifth woman, but in the past, a quarter of interviewed women fell ill.
Only one women met the diagnostic criteria for mental anorexia in the current period. In the past, less than a sixth of the women met those criteria.
Presently, the prevalence of mental bulimia is nearly six percent. In the past, this disease occurred in every tenth woman.
The binge eating disorder was detected in one respondent, who met the criteria for both the current and the past disorder. The lifetime prevalence of anorexia nervosa in the sample was 15.7%, and the prevalence of bulimia nervosa was 11.8%.
Conclusion: The results suggest that the prevalence of eating disorders is significantly higher in women treated for alcohol abuse than in the general population. At the same time, however, it is not as high as shown in some of the previous studies.
Increasing vigilance of the healthcare staff is a good strategy to minimize complications and increase the effectiveness of the treatment of both diseases.