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Prevalence of orthorexia nervosa among students at a rural university (1021.10)
Author(s) -
Neyman Morris Michelle,
Clark Courtney,
Silliman Kathryn
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.28.1_supplement.1021.10
Subject(s) - psychology , demography , healthy eating , gerontology , medicine , clinical psychology , physical activity , physical medicine and rehabilitation , sociology
Orthorexia Nervosa (ON) is characterized by an obsession with healthy eating which when taken to the extreme may lead to severe weight loss, nutrient deficiencies and social isolation. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of ON tendencies among a sample of college students at a rural northern California university. A convenience sample of 448 male (n=95, 21%) and female (n=353, 79%) students from California State University, Chico completed an online survey which included demographic and lifestyle behavior questions, and the ORTO‐15, an instrument previously validated in European populations for measuring ON tendencies. Sixty‐five percent of the participants were Caucasian and their mean BMI was 24.4 ± 5.9, based on self‐reported height and weight. A majority of participants reported living with others (n=407, 90.8%), consuming an omnivorous diet (n=385, 85.9%), and taking supplements (n=259, 57.8%), while 41 participants (9.2%) reported consuming a specialized diet for health reasons. Of the 448 participants, 353 (81%) scored less than 40 on the ORTO‐15, indicating ON tendencies. Increased exercise frequency, younger age, vegetarian diet, and consuming a specialized diet were significant predictors of ON tendencies in this sample (p< .05). Further research is needed to confirm these results in diverse populations and to guide nutrition education efforts aimed at preventing disordered eating among college students.