Estimated Prevalence and Care Pathway of Feeding and Eating Disorders in a French Pediatric Population

Abstract

Feeding and Eating Disorders (FED) are mostly described in infants and adolescents but are less well-known in children. Information on the prevalence of FED in the general pediatric population is still limited. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence and the care pathway of FED in a population aged 0-18 years old, using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)-5 classification. Two physicians interviewed 401 families using a questionnaire including demographics, BMI, dietary behavior data, and age-appropriate screening tools. Qualitative and quantitative variables were compared using the Chi² test and Student's t-test, respectively. After a headcount adjustment based on the French population by age group, the estimated prevalence rate was 3% [95%CI (1.7-5.1)] for Avoidant and Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), and 9.7% [95%CI (7.2-13.0)] for Unspecified FED (UFED), which included other restrictive and compulsive FED. The median age for ARFID was 4.8 years (0.8-9 years), and 7.5 years (0.6-17 years) for UFED. The interviews did not identify cases of anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, other specified FED, pica or rumination. Only 15.2% of children with an FED were receiving medical care. The development of validated pediatric screening tools, as well as the training of health professionals in children FED is necessary.

Keywords: feeding and eating disorders; pediatrics; prevalence.

Figure 1

BMI data of the pediatric population, according to age group (*** p < 0.001, ** p < 0.01, NS no significant, χ² test).

Figure 2

Means of BEBQ (baby eating behavior questionnaire), BPFAS (Behavioral Pediatrics Feeding Assessment Scale) and TFEQ-R18 (Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire) scores (±standard deviation) according to the age and DSM-5 classification of the patients (*** p < 0.001, **** p < 0.0001, Student’s t-test).