1. Eating Disorder Examination – Differences in eating disorder pathology between men and women with eating disorders
Maja S. Koefoed BOcT MSc, Kristian Rokkedal MD & Loa Clausen PhD
Objective
In general eating disorder pathology in men shows more similarities than differences compared to women though with an overall lower level of pathology. In community studies men have been found to have more excessive exercise and more binge eating and in clinical populations men have been found to have more vomiting. Eating Disorder Examination (EDE) is “the golden standard” of diagnostic interviewing in eating disorder but analysis of gender differences in scores on the EDE have never been reported.
The present study aim to explore gender differences on the EDE among adolescents and adults referred to treatment.
Method
The study was a cross-sectional study based on data from all consecutively patients referred to treatment for an eating disorder at the Eating Disorder Center Risskov, DK from March 1997 to March 2013.
Results
2213 patients (80 men and 2133 women) were referred for treatment and 1944 (69 men and 1875 women) were included for analysis.
Men scored lower on all EDE subscales compared to women. For patients with AN only the weight concern scale was significant lower for men, for BN only weight and eating concern subscales were significant lower for men, and for EDOS only shape concern scales were significant lower for men.
Discussion
The study confirms the tendency of men showing less eating disorder pathology. In our clinical sample men generally had lower symptom level on behavioral as well as psychological symptoms when analyzing the total sample. When using EDE in research and clinic awareness on men and woman’s different scores are needed.