Orthorexia Nervosa Risk and associated factors among Chilean nutrition students: A pilot study.

Abstract

\n Background: Orthorexia nervosa (ON) is characterized by an excessive, obsessive concern with healthy eating generating psychological complications and even malnutrition at a caloric and proteinic level. Current evidence suggests that people with greater food knowledge are the most likely to be affected, placing nutrition students as a populational risk group. Since there are no nationwide studies dealing with orthorexia nervosa in this risk group, the present pilot study intends to identify risk factors for orthorexia nervosa in a sample of Nutrition and Dietetics students in Chile. Method: a descriptive cross-sectional pilot study was done on 90 Nutrition and Dietetics students at a specific school, representing 70% of its population. The ORTHO-11-ES instrument was applied to determine ON risk, along with consulting about attitudinal, physical-clinical and social variables. Association was determined in GraphPad PRISM 8.0®. This study was approved by the university Ethics Committee based on the Helsinki Declaration. Results: 23.3% of the studied population was at risk of suffering ON. Associated variables were being in the second year of their major (OR 2.22), coming from a charter school (OR 3.00) and cohabitation being limited to ≤1 person (OR 2.47). Curiously, declared physical activity limits are associated to the risk of suffering ON (Sedentary OR 2.42, Heavy OR 3.53), as well as time spent on the social network Instagram (<1 hour OR 2.77, >3 hours OR 1.80). Conclusions: There is an ON risk prevalence of 23.3% in the present pilot sample under study, indicating that years of study, cohabitation, secondary educational establishment, physical activity and Instagram use constitute associated factors for the studied condition. Some results vary from international evidence, describing a dual nature in the variables for Instagram time and declared physical activity for ON risk. This study needs replication in more representative samples and longitudinal character with control groups which can confirm the studied elements as ON risk factors.