Anorexia nervosa among first- and second-generation immigrant children and adolescents in Italy: treatment and clinical outcomes

PURPOSE: Cultural and environmental factors have frequently been implicated in the pathogenesis of Eating Disorders (ED). Although ED have been considered as "Western culture-bound syndromes", increasing rates of ED among non-Western groups are being documented. The present study aims to investigate treatment and clinical outcomes among first-generation immigrant children and adolescents (FGI) (patients born abroad) and second-generation immigrant youth (SGI, patients born in Italy) with Anorexia Nervosa (AN). METHODS: The study retrospectively compares treatment, hospitalizations, traumatic past events, clinical features, and treatment outcome (improvement in percentual body-mass index - %BMI) between FGI and SGI young patients with AN (10-18 years). Correlations were adjusted for age and severity (%BMI) at presentation. Treatments and outcomes were investigated at the baseline (T0), 2 weeks (T1), one month (T2), 3 months (T3), 6 months (T4), and 12 months (T5). RESULTS: Thirty-six patients (50% FGI) were enrolled. At T1 (F(1.26)=6.335, p=0.018), and at T2 (F(1.30)=18.752, p<0.001) FGI presented a significantly higher %BMI improvement than SGI. FGI required significantly less (OR=0.379, p=0.017), and shorter (F(1.32)=5.827, p=0.022) hospitalizations, when compared with SGI. CONCLUSIONS: When compared to SGI, FGI with AN required fewer and shorter hospitalizations and had a better early-treatment weight outcome. Larger nationwide studies should investigate the need for and access to treatment of immigrant populations with AN.