Epidemiology

​The current prevalence of BDD is 1.7% to 2.9%, based on studies in the US, Sweden, and Germany.[2]​​[3][4]​​[5]​ A nationwide study in the US found a current prevalence of 2.4%.[3] BDD can affect people of any age, from as young as 4 years old to old age, although it is unusual to onset in people older than 40 years.[6]​ Several studies have found higher point prevalence rates in younger subgroups (i.e., adolescents, ages 18-24, or ages 18-30) than in older subgroups.​[3][7][8]​​

BDD is more common in clinical settings. For example, in the US, BDD has been reported in 13% to 16% of psychiatric inpatients.[7] It has a weighted prevalence of 11% to 13% in dermatology settings, 13% to 15% in cosmetic surgery settings, and 20% in rhinoplasty settings.[5][7]

It is not known whether the prevalence of BDD differs across nations or among cultural, racial, or ethnic groups. It is also not known whether the prevalence is stable, increasing, or decreasing.

In the general population, about 60% of people with BDD are female, but more males than females are seen in cosmetic surgery, rhinoplasty, and dermatology settings.[5][7]

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