Treatment adherence and nasogastric tube use in hospitalized youth with anorexia nervosa and premorbid overweight/obesity

ABSTRACT

Youth with restrictive-eating disorders (EDs) often experience significant distress and difficulty with treatment adherence during nutritional rehabilitation. This study assessed whether youth with restrictive EDs and premorbid overweight/obesity admitted for inpatient nutritional rehabilitation experience greater psychological distress and difficulty with treatment adherence than youth with premorbid BMI <85th percentile. A retrospective chart review examined 150 youth hospitalized for medical complications of restrictive EDs. Rates of nasogastric tube (NGT; used when youth could not complete meals), agitation medication use, and disposition recommendation were compared across premorbid BMI groups. Patients with premorbid overweight/obesity were three times more likely to require NGT feeds. These findings suggest greater challenges with nutritional rehabilitation, specifically consuming nutrition orally, in patients with premorbid overweight/obesity, highlighting the need for early and individualized psychological support for this vulnerable patient population.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported in part by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a MCHB T71MC00009 LEAH training grant. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government. For more information, please visit HRSA.gov.