264 - Hidden Weights: Prevalence of Social Determinants of Health in Adolescents with Eating Disorders

Publication Number: 3254.264

Bianca Rochelle, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Medicine, maumelle, AR, United States; Kelly A. Curran, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Medicine, Little Rock, AR, United States; Oriaku A. Kas-Osoka, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Medicine, Little Rock, AR, United States; Grace Turbyfill, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Medicine, North Little Rock, AR, United States

Background: Eating disorders (EDs) are complex illnesses that arise from the intersection of biologic, psychologic and social drivers. Historically EDs were thought to occur in individuals of high socioeconomic status (SES), though in the last decade there has been increasing recognition of these disorders across all SES.

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the presence and association between ED diagnoses and social determinants of health, SDoH, in individuals age 10 to 25 years.

Design/Methods: We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional analysis using the Epic Cosmos electronic health record database. We identified adolescent and young adult (AYA) patients with diagnosed EDs and documented SDoH screening between July 2020 and July 2025. Patients were grouped by exposure status: Any eating disorder diagnosis, Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder, Binge Eating Disorder, Other Specified Eating Disorder, and No Eating Disorder Diagnosis. Outcome measures included financial strain, food insecurity, housing insecurity, and social connection. We calculated odds ratios (ORs) to assess the likelihood of adverse SDoH in individuals with eating disorders versus those without eating disorders.

Results: Patients were included In this study with varied number of individuals with documented social determinants of health (SDoH) data; majority of the population being White, Non-Latinx, and Female. Overall, patients with an ED were more likely to have financial strain, food insecurity, transportation needs and housing insecurity than the general population (e.g., ORs ranged from 1.21 to 1.97). AYAs with EDs were as likely as-and in some cases, more likely than-youth without EDs to be socially connected in their community.

Conclusion(s): Patients with EDs were screened for SDoH at nearly double the rate of the general population, though overall the rate of screening remains low in this population. AYA with EDs experience a disproportionate burden of adverse SDoH-including financial strain, food insecurity, housing insecurity, and transportation needs-when compared with peers without eating disorders. These findings highlight the importance of screening for social context as part of comprehensive ED care, as unmet social needs may exacerbate illness severity and limit recovery. Future work should examine how targeted interventions addressing SDoH can be integrated into clinical and community-based treatment models to reduce disparities and improve outcomes for this vulnerable population.

Gender Identity


Eating Disorders and Financial Strain