Key Messages
Hospital Admission Trends Over Time
Hospital Admissions by Age and Sex
Hospital Admissions and Marginalization
Emergency Department Visit Trends Over Time
Emergency Department Visits by Age and Sex
Emergency Department Visits and Marginalization
Reasons for Admission or Visit
Technical Notes
Key Messages
- The rate of eating disorder-related hospital admissions and emergency department visits in 2021 was roughly double the rate in previous years in Simcoe Muskoka and Ontario.
- The rate of eating disorder-related hospital admissions and emergency department visits among Simcoe Muskoka residents was similar to the provincial rate and did not change significantly from 2011 to 2020.
- Children and youth under 20 years of age and females had significantly higher rates of both hospital admissions and emergency department visits related to eating disorders.
Hospital Admission Trends Over Time
- In 2021, the age-standardized rate of eating disorder-related hospital admissions was 19 (15.6,23.2) per 100,000 persons in Simcoe Muskoka.
- This is significantly higher than the Ontario rate of 11 (10.8, 12.2) per 100,000 persons.
- From 2011 to 2020, there were an average of about 40 eating disorder-related hospital admissions per year among Simcoe Muskoka. This increased to over 100 visits in 2021.
Hospital Admissions by Age and Sex
- Eating disorder-related hospital admissions are much more common in females than in males.
- For 2017 to 2021, combined, the age-specific rate of eating disorder-related hospital admission among Simcoe Muskoka females was 18 (16.2, 21.0) admissions per 100,000 females, compared to 3 (1.9, 3.8) admissions per 100,000 males.
- Children and youth under 20 years had the highest age-specific rate of eating disorder-related hospital admissions in Simcoe Muskoka, with 38 (32.9, 42.7) admissions per 100,000.
- This was also significantly higher than the provincial rate among persons under 20 years of 25 (24.3, 25.9) admissions per 100,00 persons
Hospital Admissions by Marginalization
Emergency Department Visits Trends Over Time
- There were an average of 35 emergency department visits related to eating disorders each year among Simcoe Muskoka residents from 2011 to 2020. This increased to nearly 60 in 2021.
- In 2021, the age-standardized rate of eating disorder-related emergency department was 11 (8.1, 13.8) visits per 100,000 people. This was nearly double the rate over the past five years (2016 to 2020), with an average of 6 visits per 100,000.
- The Simcoe Muskoka rate is not significantly different from the provincial rate.
Emergency Department Visits by Age and Sex
- Females had a significantly higher rate of emergency department visits related to eating disorders.
- From 2017 to 2021, combined, the age-standardized rate among Simcoe Muskoka residents was 12 (10.0, 13.8) visits per 100,000 females, compared to 2 (1.6, 3.3) per 100,000 males.
- Children and youth under 20 years of age had the highest age-specific rate of emergency department visits, with 21 (17.4, 24.8) visits per 100,000 among Simcoe Muskoka residents aged <1 to 19 years.
Emergency Department Visits and Marginalization
- There was no difference in the age-standardized rate of eating disorder-related emergency department visits across levels of material deprivation.
Reasons for Admission or Visit
- The most common diagnosis among eating disorder-related hospital admissions and emergency department visits was for anorexia nervosa.
Technical Notes
Eating disorders are characterised by an unhealthy fixation on body weight and can involve under-eating, binge eating, and purging. Eating disorders can be part of an unhealthy reaction to stressful situations or may manifest as part of a struggle to regain a sense of control.
The specific diagnostic codes used to identify eating disorder-related hospital admissions and emergency department visits are presented on the OMHRS data source page.
Further Reading
For more information on eating disorders, see:
Page last updated February 1, 2023