COVID-19 pandemic and eating disorders in an Italian group of adolescents: a retrospective study

Abstract Background. Social distancing and quarantine imposed by the authority during the COVID-19 pandemic caused restrictions, which had a negative impact on eating behavior, especially among adolescents. We proposed a retrospective study aimed to identify the main indicators/predictors of eating disorders occurring in this pandemic period. Methods.In this study, a group of 127 pediatric patients (117 females and 10 males) with eating disorders admitted to the Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital of Rome (Italy), in the period between August 2019 and April 2021, was analyzed. Results. We found that 80.3% of patients were at the onset of eating disorders and that 26% of patients had familiarity for psychotic disorders. Often these patients had comorbidities and alterations in blood parameters such as leukocytopenia, neutropenia, hypovitaminosis and hormonal problems that could affect their future. Conclusions. Based on this study, we suggest that the therapeutic path of patients with eating disorders should guarantee not only psychological treatment, but also that of comorbidities.