Anorexia Nervosa in U.S. Hispanic/Latino Populations: Sociocultural and Structural Influences on Recognition and Care
- 1Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Published U.S. studies have generally reported lower lifetime and 12-month prevalence of anorexia nervosa (AN) among Latino populations than among non-Hispanic White populations. Whether this disparity reflects epidemiologic differences or differences in detection and access to care remains unclear. We synthesized comparative prevalence estimates and examined factors that may influence their interpretation. Methods: We searched PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar through August 2026 using PRISMA-guided study selection and conducted a random-effects meta-analysis of eight comparative studies. We also examined the findings in relation to diagnostic practices, sociocultural influences, and structural barriers to recognition and care. Results: Latino participants had lower odds of AN (pooled OR = 0.64, 95% CI = 0.49–0.82), with moderate between-study heterogeneity. Interpretation of this association is limited by differences in sampling and case ascertainment, unresolved heterogeneity across Latino subgroups, and limited data on Latino men. Additional considerations include diagnostic emphasis on low body weight, patterns of help-seeking, medical mistrust, stigma, acculturative stress, and structural barriers to care. Genetic studies of AN have drawn almost exclusively from European-ancestry cohorts, limiting their applicability to Latino populations. Conclusions: Lower reported AN prevalence among Latino populations may reflect a combination of epidemiologic differences and variation in sampling, symptom recognition, diagnosis, and access to treatment. Current biological evidence does not establish that AN is intrinsically less common among Latino populations. Future epidemiologic and genomic studies should recruit adequately powered, heterogeneous Latino samples. Clinical assessment should incorporate weight history and indicators of medical instability in addition to current body weight, alongside expanded availability of Spanish-language screening tools and bilingual, bicultural providers. Clinicians should remain alert to restrictive eating disorders across body sizes and cultural backgrounds.
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BibTeX
@article{martinez2026anorexia,
title = {{Anorexia Nervosa in U.S. Hispanic/Latino Populations: Sociocultural and Structural Influences on Recognition and Care}},
author = {Joanna Ortiz Martinez and Brianna Greene and Nhien Nguyen and Pei-An (Betty) Shih},
journal = {Nutrients},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3390/nu18213622},
url = {https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/18/21/3622},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Anorexia Nervosa in U.S. Hispanic/Latino Populations: Sociocultural and Structural Influences on Recognition and Care
AU - Joanna Ortiz Martinez
AU - Brianna Greene
AU - Nhien Nguyen
AU - Pei-An (Betty) Shih
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/31
JO - Nutrients
DO - 10.3390/nu18213622
UR - https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/18/21/3622
AB - Background/Objectives: Published U.S. studies have generally reported lower lifetime and 12-month prevalence of anorexia nervosa (AN) among Latino populations than among non-Hispanic White populations. Whether this disparity reflects epidemiologic differences or differences in detection and access to care remains unclear. We synthesized comparative prevalence estimates and examined factors that may influence their interpretation. Methods: We searched PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar through August 2026 using PRISMA-guided study selection and conducted a random-effects meta-analysis of eight comparative studies. We also examined the findings in relation to diagnostic practices, sociocultural influences, and structural barriers to recognition and care. Results: Latino participants had lower odds of AN (pooled OR = 0.64, 95% CI = 0.49–0.82), with moderate between-study heterogeneity. Interpretation of this association is limited by differences in sampling and case ascertainment, unresolved heterogeneity across Latino subgroups, and limited data on Latino men. Additional considerations include diagnostic emphasis on low body weight, patterns of help-seeking, medical mistrust, stigma, acculturative stress, and structural barriers to care. Genetic studies of AN have drawn almost exclusively from European-ancestry cohorts, limiting their applicability to Latino populations. Conclusions: Lower reported AN prevalence among Latino populations may reflect a combination of epidemiologic differences and variation in sampling, symptom recognition, diagnosis, and access to treatment. Current biological evidence does not establish that AN is intrinsically less common among Latino populations. Future epidemiologic and genomic studies should recruit adequately powered, heterogeneous Latino samples. Clinical assessment should incorporate weight history and indicators of medical instability in addition to current body weight, alongside expanded availability of Spanish-language screening tools and bilingual, bicultural providers. Clinicians should remain alert to restrictive eating disorders across body sizes and cultural backgrounds.
SN - 2072-6643
ER -