Factors Associated with Disease-Specific Health Related Quality of Life in Women with Anorexia Nervosa
Background: Health-related quality of life is severely affected in patients with anorexia nervosa due to both physical and psychological consequences of the disease, but it is still uncertain whether the same factors affect both clinical outcome and quality of life. It is also unknown whether there are differences between patients and controls in terms of self-reported physical, psychological and social well-being.
Methods: Women with anorexia nervosa were recruited from specialized eating disorder centers in the five regions of Denmark. Healthy, normal-weight controls were invited via online social media to participate in the study. Six questionnaires including study characteristics, quality of life, eating disorder symptomatology, depression, work and social adjustment and psychological well-being were completed online by all participants.
Results: 211 women with anorexia nervosa and 199 controls participated in the study. Women with anorexia nervosa reported significantly lower quality of life, both in terms of disease-specific HRQoL using the Eating Disorders Quality of Life Scale and on measures of general health, psychological well-being, and work functioning. Psychological and cognitive factors were highly associated with poor quality of life (p-value<0.05).
Conclusions: Our findings suggest that attention to and management of disordered self-assessment and thought processes may be of special importance to women with anorexia nervosa and their families. It is possible that greater emphasis on such aspects alongside weight gain could enhance patient-clinician alliance and contribute to better treatment outcomes.
Posted 28 Dec, 2020
Factors Associated with Disease-Specific Health Related Quality of Life in Women with Anorexia Nervosa
Posted 28 Dec, 2020
Background: Health-related quality of life is severely affected in patients with anorexia nervosa due to both physical and psychological consequences of the disease, but it is still uncertain whether the same factors affect both clinical outcome and quality of life. It is also unknown whether there are differences between patients and controls in terms of self-reported physical, psychological and social well-being.
Methods: Women with anorexia nervosa were recruited from specialized eating disorder centers in the five regions of Denmark. Healthy, normal-weight controls were invited via online social media to participate in the study. Six questionnaires including study characteristics, quality of life, eating disorder symptomatology, depression, work and social adjustment and psychological well-being were completed online by all participants.
Results: 211 women with anorexia nervosa and 199 controls participated in the study. Women with anorexia nervosa reported significantly lower quality of life, both in terms of disease-specific HRQoL using the Eating Disorders Quality of Life Scale and on measures of general health, psychological well-being, and work functioning. Psychological and cognitive factors were highly associated with poor quality of life (p-value<0.05).
Conclusions: Our findings suggest that attention to and management of disordered self-assessment and thought processes may be of special importance to women with anorexia nervosa and their families. It is possible that greater emphasis on such aspects alongside weight gain could enhance patient-clinician alliance and contribute to better treatment outcomes.