Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Eating Disorder Diagnosis and Follow-Up Care among Patients at an Academic Medical Cente

Background: There is limited information about racial/ethnic disparities in eating disorders. The aims of this study were: (1) Characterize the population of patients at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center (WFBMC) diagnosed with an eating disorder over the past 11 years (2006 -- 2016), and compare this to nationally reported patterns; (2) Examine racial/ethnic disparities in one-year follow-up visits after initial diagnosis of an eating disorder among racial/ethnic groups.;Methods: The WFBMC Translational Data Warehouse (TDW) and Clarity databases were utilized. Patient characteristics included race/ethnicity, age, sex, BMI, diagnosing department, follow-up visit, and health insurance status.;Results: Data from 618 patients were analyzed. Majority of patients were non-Hispanic White (82%) and female (91%). Binge-eating disorder was the most commonly diagnosed condition (20%), while bulimia nervosa was the least commonly diagnosed (14.2%). Black and Hispanic patients were less likely to have a follow- up visit compared to non-Hispanic Whites.;Conclusion: Non-Hispanic White women were more likely to be diagnosed with an eating disorder. It is important to conduct more evaluations to confirm other race/ethnic groups are not being under-diagnosed. Fewer Racial/ethnic minority patients had a follow-up visit, but are more likely to lack health insurance. Further research is needed to elucidate this issue.