Eating Disorders in an Immigrant Population: Are Clinical Features and Treatment Outcomes Different from the Native-Born Spanish Population?
Background/Objectives: Sociocultural factors, including migration and acculturation, may influence the clinical profile and course of eating disorders (EDs). This study examined differences between immigrant and native-born Spanish patients with EDs in (1) clinical presentation and (2) treatment res...
| Autores: | , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Tipo de recurso: | artículo |
| Estado: | Versión publicada |
| Fecha de publicación: | 2025 |
| País: | España |
| Institución: | Universidad de Barcelona |
| Repositorio: | Dipòsit Digital de la UB |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:diposit.ub.edu:2445/228340 |
| Acceso en línea: | https://hdl.handle.net/2445/228340 |
| Access Level: | acceso abierto |
| Palabra clave: | Trastorns de la conducta alimentària Eating disorders |
| Sumario: | Background/Objectives: Sociocultural factors, including migration and acculturation, may influence the clinical profile and course of eating disorders (EDs). This study examined differences between immigrant and native-born Spanish patients with EDs in (1) clinical presentation and (2) treatment response. Methods: Consecutive outpatients from the Eating Disorders Unit at Bellvitge University Hospital (Barcelona, Spain) were assessed using the Eating Disorder Inventory-2 (EDI-2), Symptom Checklist-90-R (SCL-90-R), and Temperament and Character Inventory-Revised (TCI-R). Statistical analyses included chi-square tests, ANOVA, Cox regression for dropout, and logistic regression for predictors of poor outcome, adjusted for ED subtype. Results: The sample included 1104 patients (947 native-born; 157 immigrants). Immigrant patients showed a distinct clinical profile, with lower drive for thinness and body dissatisfaction but higher interpersonal distrust, maturity fears, perfectionism, anxiety-related symptoms, and self-transcendence. They also presented a worse treatment response, including higher dropout rates, poorer outcomes, and lower remission rates. Predictive models identified different risk factors for poor treatment response in each group: among native-born patients, younger age of ED onset, higher novelty seeking, and lower self-directedness were associated with worse outcomes, whereas among immigrant patients, greater ED severity, lower harm avoidance, and lower self-transcendence predicted poorer results. Conclusions: Immigrant patients with EDs exhibit a differentiated clinical presentation and less favorable treatment response compared to native-born patients. The differential predictors of poor outcome highlight the need for culturally informed and individually tailored interventions that consider both sociocultural context and personality-related vulnerabilities. |
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