Eating disorders among patients incarcerated only for repeated shoplifting: a retrospective quasi-case-control study in a medical prison in Japan

Table 5 Clinical observations of behavioral problems

	Shoplifting (S) Group (n = 41)	Drug offense (D) Group (n = 14)	Control (C) Group (n = 34)	TS	p
	n(%)	n(%)	n(%)	TS	p
Violent language	10 (24)	6 (43)	14 (41)	1.9	0.38
Frequent requests for drugs	5 (12^a)	11 (79^b)	8 (23^a)	20.3	<0.001
Self-harm	3 (7^a)	6 (43^b)	19 (56^b)	18.7	<0.001
Food refusal	27(66^a)	3 (21^b)	11 (32^b)	10.2	0.006
Purging	28 (68^a)	11 (79^a)	1 (3^b)	35.8	< 0.001
Falsifying dietary intake amount	32 (78^a)	4 (29^b)	0 (0^c)	44.4	< 0.001
Food hoarding	23 (^a)56	2 (14^b)	0 (0^b)	27.2	<0.001
Excessive exercise	19 (46^a)	0 (0)	0 (0)	24.4	<0.001

Significance level: p < 0.05.
Post-hoc analyses for significant differences (χ ² test: p < 0.05) are indicated by superscript letters “a” and “b.” Groups sharing a letter did not significantly differ.
Behavioral problems during the clinical course were classified as positive if the behavior continued for ≥4 weeks at a frequency threshold of almost every day or more. Statistical tests used were the χ ² test for three groups, Yates exact test (if n < 10). Degrees of freedom = 2.

ISSN: 1471-244X