
ABSTRACTObjectiveTo assess incidence rates of clinically diagnosed eating disorders among Danish youth before, during, and after the COVID‐19 pandemic.MethodThis study used a population‐based time series analysis with individual‐level data from Danish healthcare registries. Participants included all Danish individuals aged 6–24 years from January 1, 2015, to December 31, 2023. Monthly incident cases of any eating disorder, anorexia nervosa, and bulimia nervosa were analyzed using interrupted time‐series analysis. We estimated the cumulative number of excess cases of incident eating disorder diagnoses and risk ratios (RR) associated with the pandemic and post‐pandemic periods compared with pre‐pandemic predictions.ResultsThe study population encountered a mean of 1,310,542 individuals during the study period. The study included 11,693 individuals diagnosed with an eating disorder, median age 17 (IQR 14–20 years). Incident cases increased during the pandemic (RR 1.29, 95% CI 1.15–1.45) and normalized post‐pandemic (RR 1.07, 95% CI 0.91–1.25) compared with pre‐pandemic predictions. Similar patterns were seen for anorexia and bulimia. Increases were significant for ages 13–16 (RR 1.19, 95% CI 1.02–1.38), 17–19 (RR 1.51, 95% CI 1.25–1.83), and 20–24 (RR 1.35, 95% CI 1.12–1.64). Post‐pandemically, a continued increase was observed only for ages 20–24 (RR 1.32, 95% CI 1.02–1.71).ConclusionsThe study documents a temporary increase in diagnosed eating disorders among Danish youths during the COVID‐19 pandemic, with rates later returning to pre‐pandemic levels. These results provide insights into the pandemic's impact on adolescents and youths.
Male, child, Anorexia Nervosa, Adolescent, Denmark, Incidence, COVID-19, bulimia nervosa, eating disorders, anorexia nervosa, Denmark/epidemiology, Anorexia Nervosa/epidemiology, Feeding and Eating Disorders, Feeding and Eating Disorders/epidemiology, Young Adult, adolescent, young adult, Humans, epidemiology, Female, Registries, Child, mental health, COVID-19/epidemiology, Regular Articles
Male, child, Anorexia Nervosa, Adolescent, Denmark, Incidence, COVID-19, bulimia nervosa, eating disorders, anorexia nervosa, Denmark/epidemiology, Anorexia Nervosa/epidemiology, Feeding and Eating Disorders, Feeding and Eating Disorders/epidemiology, Young Adult, adolescent, young adult, Humans, epidemiology, Female, Registries, Child, mental health, COVID-19/epidemiology, Regular Articles
| selected citations These citations are derived from selected sources. This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | 7 | |
| popularity This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network. | Top 10% | |
| influence This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | Average | |
| impulse This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network. | Top 10% |
