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Inpatient weight curve trajectory as a prognostic factor among adolescents with anorexia nervosa: a preliminary report

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Abstract

Objective

To investigate the predictive value of weight restoration trajectories for relapse within the first year after discharge from inpatient treatment among adolescents with AN.

Methods

Forty four inpatient adolescents (5 boys, 39 girls) aged 11–18 (M 14.85, SD 1.87) diagnosed with anorexia were assessed at admission and discharge from a general hospital inpatient ward. Re-hospitalizations within 1 year of discharge were recorded. Factors assessed included 1/BMI at admission, 2/BMI at discharge, 3/percent from target weight (PFTW) at discharge, 4/length of hospitalization, and 5/a weight restoration trajectory measuring weight drops during inpatient weight restoration (rates of negative cubic variation in body weight (NCV).

Results

Logistic regression indicated that negative cubic variation rates (NCV) predicted re-hospitalization. PFTW was found only marginally significant.

Conclusion

Variations in weight restoration during inpatient treatment may be used to identify patients at risk for relapse. NCV can alert clinicians to initiate early relapse prevention interventions before discharge.

Level of Evidence Level III, cohort study.

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Correspondence to Silvana Fennig.

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Conflict of interest

On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the official IRB Committee of the hospital and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Additional information

Work was carried out at the Schneider Children’s Medical Center of Israel.

Research was carried out as part of prerequisites for an MD degree at the Joyce and Irving Goldman Medical School.

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Avnon, A., Orkaby, N., Hadas, A. et al. Inpatient weight curve trajectory as a prognostic factor among adolescents with anorexia nervosa: a preliminary report. Eat Weight Disord 23, 645–651 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-017-0415-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-017-0415-8

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