Background. Empirical data regarding prevalence of sexual and physical abuse histories in Japanese patients with eating disorders is lacking, in contrast to Western countries. This study investigated the prevalence of traumatic events in Japanese patients with eating disorders, and examined the relationship between such traumatic events and clinical features.

Methods. Subjects consisted of 33 patients with anorexia nervosa restricting type (RAN), 40 patients with anorexia nervosa binge eating/purging type (AN–BP), 63 patients with bulimia nervosa purging type (BN) and 99 healthy controls. All were female and diagnoses were based on DSM-IV. The Physical and Sexual Abuse Questionnaire (PSA), Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI) and Dissociation Experience Scale (DES) were administered to all of the subjects.

Results. Paradoxically, victims of minor sexual abuse committed by Chikan (a Japanese word indicating a person who commits minor sexual crimes) were more prevalent among controls than among patients with RAN, AN–BP or BN. However, physical punishment histories tended to be more prevalent among patients with AN–BP or BN than among RAN or controls. Only AN–BP and BN patients with physical punishment histories had twofold higher scores for DES and significantly more frequent histories of self-mutilation (67% v. 33%) compared with patients without such histories.

Conclusion. An abuse history is not essential or a prerequisite to developing an eating disorder in Japan.