Orthorexia nervosa, eating patterns and personality traits: a cross-cultural comparison of Italian, Polish and Spanish university students

Abstract

Background The amount of research about orthorexic attitudes and behaviours has increased in the last five years, but is still mainly based on descriptive and anecdotal data, yielding a variety of prevalence data and inconsistent results. The interplay between socio-cultural context and orthorexia has been poorly investigated and is still far from being understood. Method Multicentre, cross-sectional study involving Italian ( N = 216), Polish ( N = 206) and Spanish ( N = 242) university students, assessed through a protocol including informed consent, socio-demographic and anamnestic data sheet and self-administered questionnaires (ORTO-15, Eating Attitudes Test- 26 [EAT-26], Temperament and Character Inventory [TCI]). Results Higher prevalence of orthorexia (as described by the ORTO-15 cutoff) was found in Poland. Female gender, Body Mass Index (BMI), current Eating Disorder, dieting, EAT-26 score ≥ 20 and low/medium Persistence were associated with orthorexia in the whole sample. The cross-cultural comparison showed several differences among the three subgroups of students. Conclusions The associations found between orthorexic attitudes, self-reported current eating disorder, BMI and adherence to a dieting need to be supported by further research. The differences among students from the three countries seem to suggest a possible rolve for cultural elements in the construct of orthorexia.

Orthorexic Tendency and Eating Disorders Symptoms in Polish Students: Examining Differences in Eating Behaviors

“…In our study, it was found that almost half of the people with the ON tendency also displayed ED symptoms. The relationship between the ON tendency and ED symptoms is complex and not clear enough and hence needs to be studied in detail [36]. In some studies, ON was indicated as a predictor of ED.…”

“…The risk of developing ON tendency was five-fold higher in ED patients compared to healthy people [37]. Although ON tendency may precede ED, it may also occur during the remission phase of ED [36]. While some researchers consider ED as a risk factor for ON tendency [8], ED is also pointed out as a negative predictor of ON [38].…”

Use of dietary supplements among nursing students in Turkey in the last 12 months and its relation with orthorexia nervosa

“…In each logistic regression model, the use of dietary supplements was the dependent variable, and ON was the independent variable. The variables identified as significant in the literature 10,12,13,26,31 and those found statistically significant in the univariate analysis (age, sex, the monthly income level of the family, perceived health status, number of main meals, BMI) were included as covariates in the models. Adjusted odds ratios were given at 95% confidence intervals.…”

“…25 Indeed, in a limited number of studies in recent years, it has been reported that the rate of dietary supplement use is high in those with ON symptoms. 14,19,22,26 Turkish literature on the relation between ON and the use of dietary supplements is scarce. Our hypothesis is that the use of dietary supplements in nursing students is related to ON.…”

Prevalence of Orthorexia Nervosa Among Nutrition Students and Nutritionists in Jordan: Pilot Study

“…Attempts have been made based on BOT, by Donini and colleagues who developed "ORTO-15," a designed instrument to detect ON [9,14]. Donini and colleagues were expanded the scoring to a 1 to 4 scale (always, often, sometimes, never) regarding dietary habits food preference, where the scores range between 15 as a minimum score and 60 as a maximum score [15]. However, lower scores indicate more extreme dieting practices [9].…”