Eating Disorder Symptomatology Among Adolescents Presenting for Bariatric Surgery Candidacy: Examining Differences by Sex and Racial Minority Status

Background Research on adolescent bariatric surgery candidates is limited by insufficient inclusion of ethnic minorities and males, and lack of consideration of the full spectrum of disordered eating behaviors (i.e., restriction, compensatory behaviors [e.g., purging], overeating/binge eating behaviors). Objectives The current study investigated differences in the full range of disordered eating behaviors across sex and ethnicity among adolescents seeking bariatric surgery. Setting Teaching hospital, United States. Methods Data were collected using retrospective chart review of 79 adolescent bariatric surgery candidates (59% female, 46.8% Hispanic, M BMI = 50.2, SD BMI = 10.0, M age = 17.3, SD age = 2.02) who had completed the self-reported Eating Disorder Diagnostic Scale for DSM-5 at intake. Results Approximately 33% of study participants met self-reported criteria for an eating disorder, with 35% endorsing binge eating behaviors and 50% endorsing compensatory behaviors. Few differences in behavior frequencies were observed across sex or racial/ethnic status. Conclusions Findings underscore the importance of assessing the full spectrum of disordered eating behaviors among adolescent bariatric surgery candidates. Graphical abstract