A retrospective investigation of the prodromal stages of eating disorders and use of health services in young patients the year prior to the diagnosis

Aim The aim of this study was to analyse the characteristics and the frequency of medical consultations in the year prior to the diagnosis and the intervention onset of the Eating Disorder, as well as the different prodromal symptoms. The final aim was to understand the origin of all referrals and their possible influence on the duration of untreated illness. Methods We selected 99 young patients (15–25 years) and 61 healthy controls. Their primary and specialized care medical records were both studied retrospectively. Results 87.6% of patients attended different consultations (primary care, specialized care and emergency department) the year prior compared to 67.2% of the controls (p = .002). The average number of consultations was 3.59 in the case group and 1.57 in the control group (p