Factors associated with probability of inpatient hospitalization in military-affiliated adolescents and young adults with eating disorders

This study examined demographic and military factors related to probability of hospitalization among military-affiliated adolescents and young adults (AYA) with an eating disorder (ED) diagnosis. Participants were military-affiliated AYA (spouses not included), ages 10–26 years. De-identified data were extracted from the Military Health System Data Repository from 2016–2021. Kaplan–Meier risk estimates determined the proportion of participants with a hospitalization following their initial ED diagnosis across time. Cox proportional hazard models evaluated adjusted associations of demographic and military-specific factors with probability of hospitalization. Of 7,705 participants with an ED diagnosis, approximately one in five (n = 1,569) had a hospitalization during the study period. Weight categories were only recorded for 35% (n = 2,675) of participants. Adjusting for other variables, hospitalization was more likely for: participants 15–17 years old (versus other age groups), females (versus males), those with underweight (versus higher weights), those who received care at civilian facilities (versus directly within the Military Health System), and those with a parent serving in the Navy (versus the Army). There was no significant difference by ED diagnosis. Results indicate disparities related to hospitalization among AYA with EDs within the Military Health System. More research is needed to understand access to and engagement with ED-related healthcare among military-affiliated AYA.