RESUMO
OBJECTIVES: Principal: to find opportunities for improvement in the care of patients with eating behaviour disorders (EBD). Secondary: a) to ascertain the profile of patients diagnosed with EBD at our health centre; b) to find out whether the handling of patients is in line with the guidelines stipulated in the bibliography as "good quality", and c) to find out whether we conduct EBD early-detection activities among adolescents. DESIGN: Transversal, descriptive study. SETTING: Urban health centre in Madrid. Ten family medicine clinics and 2 paediatrics ones. PATIENTS: Objectives 1 and 2: patients diagnosed with EBD by our primary care team (PCT) (n=13). Objective 3: randomised sample of 136 patients between 12 and 17 years old. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Thirteen patients, all women, were diagnosed with EBD. Their mean age was 21 (SD, 3.87). The most common EBD were: anorexia nervosa (46.15%) and undefined disorders (30.77%); 92.30% were diagnosed in primary care. The most common detail giving rise to suspected EBD in the clinic was family members seeking help (46.15%). At the time of study, 38.46% evolved favourably, 30.77% were cured and 30.77% were chronically ill. After diagnosis, the activity most complied with was attending a minimum of four times a year (90.9%); the least complied with were a report from the mental health services (22.2%) and weight monitoring (42.9%). Early detection was appraised in a sample of 123 females and 13 males, with an average age of 15 (SD, 2.07); 50% were evaluated for their nutrition, and 10.3% for their self-esteem. CONCLUSIONS: The most common EBD in the patients diagnosed by our PCT was anorexia nervosa. Most of those ill were diagnosed in primary care. During their treatment, few patients had their weight monitored and communication with mental health departments could be improved. Few early detection tests among adolescents, in particular appraisal of their self-esteem, were conducted.
