Association of COVID-19 Pandemic with Newly Diagnosed Anorexia Nervosa Among Children and Adolescents in Japan
<i>Background and Objectives</i>: The COVID-19 pandemic globally has negative effects on mental health. Research from Western countries, such as the US, Canada, Australia, and Europe, shows that the COVID-19 pandemic is associated with an increased trend of anorexia nervosa (AN) among ch...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-03-01
|
| Series: | Medicina |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1648-9144/61/3/445 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850091162680950784 |
|---|---|
| author | Yoshifumi Fukuya Keitaro Miyamura Tomoyuki Funatogawa Taiju Yamaguchi Naoyuki Katagiri Takahiro Nemoto |
| author_facet | Yoshifumi Fukuya Keitaro Miyamura Tomoyuki Funatogawa Taiju Yamaguchi Naoyuki Katagiri Takahiro Nemoto |
| author_sort | Yoshifumi Fukuya |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <i>Background and Objectives</i>: The COVID-19 pandemic globally has negative effects on mental health. Research from Western countries, such as the US, Canada, Australia, and Europe, shows that the COVID-19 pandemic is associated with an increased trend of anorexia nervosa (AN) among children and adolescents. However, the trend after the pandemic in Eastern countries, including Japan, is not well-understood, and it remains unclear whether the pandemic is associated with the trend in these countries. This study aimed to examine the association between the COVID-19 pandemic and the newly diagnosed AN among children and adolescents in Japan. <i>Materials and Methods</i>: Using the nationwide multi-hospital database in Japan, we analyzed the clinical outpatient data in the departments of pediatrics, psychosomatic medicine, and psychiatry. The participants comprised children and adolescents aged 7–19 years newly diagnosed with AN from January 2017 to January 2022. An interrupted time series analysis was used to compare the trends of newly diagnosed AN before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Estimating the changes in the trends over the pandemic was performed using a Poisson regression model. <i>Results</i>: The total cases of newly diagnosed AN were 41 cases diagnosed in 38 months (1.08 cases per month) before the pandemic and 34 in 23 months (1.48 cases per month) after the pandemic. Notably, in the 7–14 age group, the cases per month increased from 0.74 to 1.13 cases per month over the period. Before the pandemic, a decrease in cases was observed (Incidence Rate Ratio [IRR] = 0.961; 95% CI = 0.932–0.990). Conversely, the after-pandemic period showed a contrasting trend, with increased cases (IRR = 1.096; 95% CI = 1.032–1.176). Furthermore, the number and cases per month in boys increased over the period, from 1 to 5 cases and from 0.03 to 0.22 cases per month, compared to girls from 28 to 26 cases and from 1.05 to 1.26 cases per month. <i>Conclusions:</i> Our findings suggest that sociocultural differences at a national level may not affect the trend of AN after the pandemic. The pandemic and lifestyle changes after the pandemic occurred in both Western and Eastern countries. Considering that, individual, parental, and peer factors related to the pandemic and the consequent lifestyle changes may be more associated with the development of AN. Further research in different countries is needed to elucidate the mechanisms of AN and the long-term impact of the pandemic. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-1eb5012b65f84d94b95b4be704b84ca6 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1010-660X 1648-9144 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Medicina |
| spelling | doaj-art-1eb5012b65f84d94b95b4be704b84ca62025-08-20T02:42:26ZengMDPI AGMedicina1010-660X1648-91442025-03-0161344510.3390/medicina61030445Association of COVID-19 Pandemic with Newly Diagnosed Anorexia Nervosa Among Children and Adolescents in JapanYoshifumi Fukuya0Keitaro Miyamura1Tomoyuki Funatogawa2Taiju Yamaguchi3Naoyuki Katagiri4Takahiro Nemoto5Department of Neuropsychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Toho University, Tokyo 143-8541, JapanCenter for Excellence in Thyroid Care, Kuma Hospital, Kobe 650-0011, JapanDepartment of Neuropsychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Toho University, Tokyo 143-8541, JapanDepartment of Neuropsychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Toho University, Tokyo 143-8541, JapanDepartment of Neuropsychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Toho University, Tokyo 143-8541, JapanDepartment of Neuropsychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Toho University, Tokyo 143-8541, Japan<i>Background and Objectives</i>: The COVID-19 pandemic globally has negative effects on mental health. Research from Western countries, such as the US, Canada, Australia, and Europe, shows that the COVID-19 pandemic is associated with an increased trend of anorexia nervosa (AN) among children and adolescents. However, the trend after the pandemic in Eastern countries, including Japan, is not well-understood, and it remains unclear whether the pandemic is associated with the trend in these countries. This study aimed to examine the association between the COVID-19 pandemic and the newly diagnosed AN among children and adolescents in Japan. <i>Materials and Methods</i>: Using the nationwide multi-hospital database in Japan, we analyzed the clinical outpatient data in the departments of pediatrics, psychosomatic medicine, and psychiatry. The participants comprised children and adolescents aged 7–19 years newly diagnosed with AN from January 2017 to January 2022. An interrupted time series analysis was used to compare the trends of newly diagnosed AN before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Estimating the changes in the trends over the pandemic was performed using a Poisson regression model. <i>Results</i>: The total cases of newly diagnosed AN were 41 cases diagnosed in 38 months (1.08 cases per month) before the pandemic and 34 in 23 months (1.48 cases per month) after the pandemic. Notably, in the 7–14 age group, the cases per month increased from 0.74 to 1.13 cases per month over the period. Before the pandemic, a decrease in cases was observed (Incidence Rate Ratio [IRR] = 0.961; 95% CI = 0.932–0.990). Conversely, the after-pandemic period showed a contrasting trend, with increased cases (IRR = 1.096; 95% CI = 1.032–1.176). Furthermore, the number and cases per month in boys increased over the period, from 1 to 5 cases and from 0.03 to 0.22 cases per month, compared to girls from 28 to 26 cases and from 1.05 to 1.26 cases per month. <i>Conclusions:</i> Our findings suggest that sociocultural differences at a national level may not affect the trend of AN after the pandemic. The pandemic and lifestyle changes after the pandemic occurred in both Western and Eastern countries. Considering that, individual, parental, and peer factors related to the pandemic and the consequent lifestyle changes may be more associated with the development of AN. Further research in different countries is needed to elucidate the mechanisms of AN and the long-term impact of the pandemic.https://www.mdpi.com/1648-9144/61/3/445anorexia nervosaCOVID-19eating disorderschildhoodadolescence |
| spellingShingle | Yoshifumi Fukuya Keitaro Miyamura Tomoyuki Funatogawa Taiju Yamaguchi Naoyuki Katagiri Takahiro Nemoto Association of COVID-19 Pandemic with Newly Diagnosed Anorexia Nervosa Among Children and Adolescents in Japan Medicina anorexia nervosa COVID-19 eating disorders childhood adolescence |
| title | Association of COVID-19 Pandemic with Newly Diagnosed Anorexia Nervosa Among Children and Adolescents in Japan |
| title_full | Association of COVID-19 Pandemic with Newly Diagnosed Anorexia Nervosa Among Children and Adolescents in Japan |
| title_fullStr | Association of COVID-19 Pandemic with Newly Diagnosed Anorexia Nervosa Among Children and Adolescents in Japan |
| title_full_unstemmed | Association of COVID-19 Pandemic with Newly Diagnosed Anorexia Nervosa Among Children and Adolescents in Japan |
| title_short | Association of COVID-19 Pandemic with Newly Diagnosed Anorexia Nervosa Among Children and Adolescents in Japan |
| title_sort | association of covid 19 pandemic with newly diagnosed anorexia nervosa among children and adolescents in japan |
| topic | anorexia nervosa COVID-19 eating disorders childhood adolescence |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1648-9144/61/3/445 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT yoshifumifukuya associationofcovid19pandemicwithnewlydiagnosedanorexianervosaamongchildrenandadolescentsinjapan AT keitaromiyamura associationofcovid19pandemicwithnewlydiagnosedanorexianervosaamongchildrenandadolescentsinjapan AT tomoyukifunatogawa associationofcovid19pandemicwithnewlydiagnosedanorexianervosaamongchildrenandadolescentsinjapan AT taijuyamaguchi associationofcovid19pandemicwithnewlydiagnosedanorexianervosaamongchildrenandadolescentsinjapan AT naoyukikatagiri associationofcovid19pandemicwithnewlydiagnosedanorexianervosaamongchildrenandadolescentsinjapan AT takahironemoto associationofcovid19pandemicwithnewlydiagnosedanorexianervosaamongchildrenandadolescentsinjapan |