Assessing the Prevalence of Orthorexia Nervosa in a Sample of University Students Using Two Different Self-Report Measures

Abstract

In recent decades, orthorexia nervosa (ON) has increased presence in society. It is related with beliefs and attitudes towards eating and is characterized by an obsessive behavior toward heathy eating. The prevalence of ON has been reported by numerous researchers, with rates varying considerably according to the tool used to evaluate the same parameter. The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of ON in a single population using two different questionnaires. The test for the diagnosis of orthorexia (ORTO-11-ES) assessment tool for orthorexia nervosa and the Düsseldorfer Ortorexie Skala (DOS-ES), constitute brief self-report assessment tools which measure the risk of suffering ON. A sample of 492 students from the University of Castilla la Mancha (Spain) participated in this study, of whom 43.1% were male and 56.9% were female. The findings show that, according to the DOS-ES, only 10.5% of students displayed ON whereas, with the ORTO-11-ES, the prevalence of ON increased to 25.2%. The tendency towards orthorexic behavior is more closely associated with the female gender. The Body Mass Index (BMI) had no influence on the tendency for ON. This study provides valuable information on the usefulness of both questionnaires and the possible limitations associated with the use of these tools in the general population.

Orthorexic tendencies in the general population: association with demographic data, psychiatric symptoms, and utilization of mental health services

“…In non-representative German samples of varying size, including matched control groups of clinical samples and participants of an online survey, estimates range between 3 and 4% [5,[13][14][15]. These numbers are contrasted by studies from the USA [7], China [9], and Spain [16] that reported rates up to 10% in smaller student samples.…”

Identifying the Profile of Orthorexic Behavior and “Normal” Eating Behavior with Cluster Analysis: A Cross-Sectional Study among Polish Adults

“…The minimal sample size was calculated based on a previous study [35] that showed a correlation coefficient between orthorexia (assessed by the DOS scale) and bulimia (assessed by the EDI scale). Based on a correlation coefficient of 0.195, the minimal sample size calculated was 211 [36].…”

The Prevalence of Orthorexia Nervosa in Polish and Lebanese Adults and Its Relationship with Sociodemographic Variables and BMI Ranges: A Cross-Cultural Perspective

“…Numerous researchers have reported the prevalence of ON, with values varying considerably according to the measure used to evaluate the same construct (e.g., ORTO-15 test, the Düsseldorf Orthorexia Scale), the selected population (e.g., clinical versus non-clinical samples), and the nationality [ 13 ]. The prevalence of ON ranges from 1% in the general U.S. population [ 14 ] to much higher percentages, particularly among university students worldwide, e.g., 6.6% in a sample of Polish students [ 15 ], 8% in a sample of U.S. students [ 16 ], and 10.5% in a sample of Spanish students [ 13 ]. It has been suggested that the vast inconsistency was mainly due to the difference of instruments used, but not due to cultural differences [ 14 ].…”