Prevalence of eating disorder is lower in migrants than in the Australian-born population.

There are limited data on the epidemiology of eating disorders (ED) in migrants. Recent Scandinavian research suggests that migrants are at lower risk of eating disorders, however, to our knowledge there have not been comparable studies exploring eating disorders in Australian adult populations. We sought to explore the prevalence of EDs in first-generation migrants to Australia in comparison with the Australian-born population. A secondary aim was to explore ED prevalence across first-generation migrants from different regions of birth (Europe, Asia, Africa, and Other). We conducted sequential cross-sectional population surveys in South Australian individuals aged over 15 years in 2015 and 2016 (n = 6052). Demographic data were collected and migration status was inferred based on a country of birth outside Australia. Questions asked regarding disordered eating were based on the Eating Disorders Examination. The 3-month prevalence of any ED was found to be significantly lower in first-generation migrants born outside Australia (4.5%, 95% CI 3.6-5.6) in comparison to the Australian-born population (6.4%, 95% CI 5.7-7.2). People born in countries in Africa (11.0% 95% CI 6.1-19.1) had a significantly higher prevalence of EDs than those born in Asia (4.0% 95% CI 2.7-5.8). First-generation migrants to Australia may be at lower risk of eating disorders compared to their Australia-born peers, suggesting support for a 'healthy immigrant effect'.

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Declaration of competing interest PH receives/has received sessional fees and lecture fees from the Australian Medical Council, Therapeutic Guidelines publication, and New South Wales Institute of Psychiatry and royalties/honoraria from Hogrefe and Huber, McGraw Hill Education, and Blackwell Scientific Publications, Biomed Central and PlosMedicine and she has received research grants from the NHMRC and ARC. She is Chair of the National Eating Disorders Collaboration Steering Committee in Australia and was Member of the ICD-11 Working Group for Eating Disorders (2012–2019) and was Chair Clinical Practice Guidelines Project Working Group (Eating Disorders) of RANZCP (2012–2015). She has prepared a report under contract for Shire Pharmaceuticals in regards to Binge Eating Disorder (July 2017) and received honoraria for education of Psychiatrists from Shire. All views in this paper are her own. Stephen Touyz receives royalties from Hogrefe and Huber, Routledge and McGraw-Hill Publishers. He has also been the recipient of honoraria and travel and research grants from Shire Pharmaceuticals. He has chaired their Australian Binge Eating Disorder Advisory Board and has been the author of commissioned reports. All views expressed in these reports have been his own. He is a consultant to Weight Watchers. SLC and EJ declare no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship and/or publication of this article.