Assessment of the Relationship Between Orthorexia Nervosa, Eating Attitudes and Behaviors, and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in University Students.

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to determine the psychosocial risk factors for orthorexia nervosa (ON) in university students and to evaluate the relationship between eating attitudes and behaviors and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted with 882 university students in an eastern Turkish province from October to December 2023. Data for the study were collected using a sociodemographic survey form, the Orthorexia Nervosa Test (ORTO-15), the Eating Attitude Test (EAT-40), and the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised (OCI-R) assessments. Additionally, an online survey was administered to the participants using Google Forms. The collected data were analyzed using the SPSS 22.0 statistical software program.

RESULTS

The participants had a mean age of 20.9 ± 3.0 years (range: 17-45), and 73.1% (n = 645) were female. Orthorexic tendencies were observed in 14.7% of the participants, impaired eating behavior in 15.6%, and a risk of OCD in 58.7%. The mean ORTO-15 score for the participants was 37.3 ± 3.6, the mean EAT-40 score was 20.0 ± 15.5, and the mean OCI-R score was 25.9 ± 15.0. ORTO-15 scores were significantly higher among participants in their sixth year of study and those enrolled in evening education programs (p < 0.05). EAT-40 scores were significantly higher in students aged 20-22, those with poor socioeconomic status, and smokers (p < 0.05). OCI-R scores were notably higher in participants who lived in dormitories during their studies and those who had quit smoking (p < 0.05). While ORTO-15 scores were negatively correlated with EAT-40 scores (p < 0.05), a weak positive correlation was observed between OCI-R and EAT-40 scores (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Although ON, OCD, and eating disorders seem to be different disorders, they both have similar characteristics. Further studies are needed to investigate possible risk factors of comorbidity.