Incontinence and constipation in adolescent patients with anorexia nervosa—Results of a multicenter study from a German web-based registry for children and adolescents with anorexia nervosa

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Hannah K. Mattheus - , Saarland University (Author)
  • Catharina Wagner - , Saarland University (Author)
  • Katja Becker - , University of Marburg (Author)
  • Katharina Bühren - , RWTH Aachen University (Author)
  • Christoph U. Correll - , Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Hofstra University, Zucker Hillside Hospital (Author)
  • Karin M. Egberts - , University of Würzburg (Author)
  • Stefan Ehrlich - , Division of Psychological and Social Medicine and Developmental Neurosciences, TUD Dresden University of Technology (Author)
  • Christian Fleischhaker - , University Medical Center Freiburg (Author)
  • Manuel Föcker - , University of Duisburg-Essen (Author)
  • Freia Hahn - , LVR Hospital Viersen (Author)
  • Johannes Hebebrand - , University of Duisburg-Essen (Author)
  • Beate Herpertz-Dahlmann - , RWTH Aachen University (Author)
  • Charlotte Jaite - , Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin (Author)
  • Ekkehart Jenetzky - , Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Witten/Herdecke University (Author)
  • Michael Kaess - , Heidelberg University , University of Bern (Author)
  • Tanja Legenbauer PhD - , Ruhr University Bochum (Author)
  • Jens P. Pfeiffer PhD - , University of Marburg (Author)
  • Tobias J. Renner MD - , University of Tübingen (Author)
  • Veit Roessner - , Division of Psychological and Social Medicine and Developmental Neurosciences, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, TUD Dresden University of Technology (Author)
  • Ulrike Schulze - , Ulm University (Author)
  • Judith Sinzig - , LVR-Clinic Bonn (Author)
  • Ida Wessing - , University of Münster (Author)
  • Alexander von Gontard - , Saarland University (Author)

Abstract

Objective: Nocturnal enuresis (NE), daytime urinary incontinence (DUI), and fecal incontinence (FI) are common disorders in childhood and are frequently accompanied by comorbid psychiatric disorders. Despite a high association between urinary and fecal incontinence with psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders, research on comorbidity between incontinence and anorexia nervosa (AN) remains scarce. Yet, it is well known that somatic consequences of AN include metabolic and gastrointestinal disorders. The study sought to assess the prevalence of incontinence and constipation in children and adolescents with AN and to examine associations of these two symptoms with body weight at admission and with BMI changes during inpatient treatment. Methods: Data collected between 2015 and 2017 by a multicenter German web-based registry for AN were analyzed. Three hundred and forty-eight patients with AN (96.3% female, mean age = 15.1 ± 1.8 years) were assessed regarding AN subtype, psychiatric comorbidity, body weight, incontinence, and constipation. Results: Overall, 27.6% of patients had constipation, 1.8% had NE and 1.8% DUI. Prevalence of constipation did not significantly differ between AN subtypes. Constipation did not lead to any significant differences in weight/BMI changes during inpatient treatment. Discussion: This is the largest study of incontinence and constipation in patients with AN, so far. Our results indicate that constipation is highly prevalent in adolescent patients with AN and reflects a clinically relevant condition. Despite, patients with AN do not have an increased prevalence of incontinence compared with the general population. Future studies should include medical examinations like ultrasound and physical examination of the lower abdomen to evaluate the severity of constipation.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)219-228
Number of pages10
JournalInternational Journal of Eating Disorders
Volume53
Issue number2
Publication statusPublished - 1 Feb 2020
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

PubMed 31617610
ORCID /0000-0003-2132-4445/work/150882369

Keywords

Sustainable Development Goals

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Keywords

  • anorexia nervosa, body weight, constipation, daytime urinary incontinence, nocturnal enuresis