Health-related quality of life in adult inpatients affected by anorexia nervosa

Abstract

Objective: Poor awareness of illness in anorexia nervosa (AN) may render the assessment of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) difficult. We aimed at evaluating severe AN patients' HRQoL at discharge using different instruments and correlating this measure with clinical variables.

Methods: We enrolled 71 adult AN inpatients admitted through the emergency department. At admission, all participants completed the following: Medical Outcome Short Form Health Survey, Eating Disorder Inventory-2 and Temperament and Character Inventory. At admission and discharge, body mass index, EuroQoL Health Questionnaire/Visual Analogue Scale and Clinical Global Impression were evaluated.

Results: The HRQoL was severely impaired at baseline, but it improved at discharge. HRQoL correlated with eating psychopathology and personality, but not with body mass index or Clinical Global Impression.

Conclusion: The HRQoL effectively captured patients' improvement at discharge. Given its correlations with clinical variables, this instrument may be useful in clinical practice.

Keywords: EuroQoL health questionnaire; anorexia nervosa; emergency hospitalization; health-related quality of life; inpatient treatment.