ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Public Health
Sec. Public Mental Health
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1634147
This article is part of the Research TopicFrom Adolescence to Adulthood: The Role of Diet in Preventing Metabolic and Mental Health DisordersView all 4 articles
Trends in the Prevalence of Anorexia Nervosa Among Individuals Under 45 Years in China, 1992-2021: An Age-Period-Cohort Analysis
Provisionally accepted
- Integrated care management center (ICMC), West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
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Objective: This study aims to analyze the temporal trends in the incidence and prevalence of anorexia nervosa (AN) in China from 1992 to 2021, focusing on age, period, and cohort effects, in order to provide evidence for the prevention and control of anxiety-related disorders. Methods: Data on the incidence and prevalence of anorexia nervosa in China were obtained from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021. Joinpoint regression analysis was employed to assess trends over time, while an age-period-cohort (APC) model was used to estimate the net effects of age, period, and cohort variables. Results: From 1992 to 2021, the incidence and prevalence of anorexia nervosa among individuals under 45 years in China showed a general upward trend. The annual percent change (APC) for incidence was 1.29%, and for prevalence was 0.31%, with both rates consistently higher in females than in males. Age effects revealed that the highest incidence and prevalence occurred between ages 10 and 25, followed by a gradual decline. Period effects demonstrated a consistent upward trend across the total population. Cohort analysis indicated an intergenerational increase in the risk of anorexia nervosa. Conclusion: The incidence and prevalence of anorexia nervosa among individuals under 45 years in China have increased steadily from 1992 to 2021. This growing disease burden, with marked age and gender disparities, highlights the urgent need for targeted interventions, especially among adolescents and women.
Keywords: Anorexia Nervosa, Epidemiological trends, age-period-cohort model, GBD, GBD database
Received: 23 May 2025; Accepted: 07 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Tian, He, Chen, Tang and Zhou. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Yongzhao Zhou, Integrated care management center (ICMC), West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
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