The aims of this study were to analyse the quality of life (QoL) of a broad sample of patients with eating disorders (ED) and to identify potential factors that predict QoL.

This prospective cohort study involved 528 patients diagnosed with ED and treated over a 15-year period in the Eating Disorders Outpatient Clinic. Information on sociodemographic and clinical data were gathered. Patients completed five self-administered instruments: the Eating Attitudes Test-26 (EAT-26); the Eating Disorder Diagnostic Scale (EDDS); the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS); the Short-Form 12 (SF-12); and the Quality of Life in ED-short form (HeRQoLED-s). Descriptive, univariate analyses and multivariate linear regression models were applied to identify factors associated with QoL.

Predictive variables for a low level of QoL in patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) included antidepressant treatment (P=0.009), substance abuse disorder, (P=0.03) and other organic comorbidities (P<0.0001). For patients with bulimia nervosa (BN), they included osteoporosis (P=0.0001), obesity (P=0.0004) or being a student (P=0.04). For patients with eating disorders not otherwise specified (EDNOS), they included anxiolytic treatment (P=0.003), having circulatory disease (P=0.001), more years since start of ED treatment (P=0.03) and living alone (P<0.0001).

We found a significant difference in QoL between the diagnostic ED groups. With regard to the variables predicting QoL in ED patients, the findings of this study suggest that organic or psychiatric comorbidities and some data of social normality might be more relevant to QoL in ED than age, type of compensatory behaviour, BMI or number of visits to hospital emergency department.