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Assessing psychological and nutritional impact of suspected orthorexia nervosa: a cross‐sectional pilot study
Author(s) -
Mitrofanova E.,
Mulrooney H.,
Petróczi A.
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of human nutrition and dietetics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.951
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1365-277X
pISSN - 0952-3871
DOI - 10.1111/jhn.12797
Subject(s) - medicine , recall , body mass index , cross sectional study , clinical psychology , scale (ratio) , gerontology , environmental health , psychology , physics , pathology , quantum mechanics , cognitive psychology
Background To date, research on the dietary patterns of individuals with potential orthorexic symptoms is lacking. This cross‐sectional pilot study aimed to explore the feasibility of assessing dietary patterns with psychological traits and states of individuals with possible orthorexic tendencies. Methods Dietary intakes of 10 individuals (two males and eight females) were assessed using 24‐h recall. Mean age of participants was 28.3 years; mean body mass index was 21.2 kg m –2 . Nutrient intakes were compared with current dietary guidelines and the Eatwell Guide (Public Health England, 2016). Participants completed the ORTO‐15, the Eating Attitude Test (EAT‐26), the Obsessive‐Compulsive Inventory‐Revised edition (OCI‐R), Paulhus's Spheres of Control (SoC), the Rosenberg's Self‐Esteem Scale (RSES) and the Multidimensional Body‐Self Relations Questionnaire (MBSRQ). Results High levels of disparity across participants' psychometric scores and 24‐h recall results were observed. There was no single pattern of self‐imposed dietary restrictions among participants. Described dietary practices failed to meet the guidelines for several nutrients. Conclusions The results of this pilot study suggest that an extensive investigation of the diets of individuals with possible orthorexic tendencies in a large‐scale study would contribute to the understanding of this condition. In addition, the use of multiple psychometric instruments is recommended for diagnosing orthorexic nervosa.