A Scoping Review of the Prevalence of Eating Disorders in Spain

Abstract

Introduction: Eating disorders (EDs) are mental health illnesses with a multifactorial origin. At present, no review of indexed publications studying their prevalence in Spain is available. Material and methods: A scoping review (PROSPERO -CRD42019140884-) was carried out through systematic searches (MEDLINE, EMBASE and PsycINFO) until January 2022. Papers published in Spanish/English analysing the prevalence of EDs in Spain (population < 65 years) were selected. Results: A total of 766 articles were identified (186 eliminated as duplicates). A total of 580 articles were analysed on the basis of title and abstract, and 67 articles were selected for full-text analysis. A total of 37 studies analysed the prevalence of EDs in Spain. Conclusions: This is the first scoping review to analyse the prevalence of EDs in Spain. Puberty and adolescence are the most extensively studied stages. There is a high heterogeneity in the use of ED screening tools and a paucity of information on diagnostic tools.

Keywords

• eating disorders
• eating and food ingestion disorders
• anorexia nervosa
• bulimia
• binge eating disorder