Over the past 20 years there has been an increase in obesity rates among university students1. The interest in a healthy diet can lead to a psychological obsession known as orthorexia nervosa (ON)2,3. The aims of this study were to assess the prevalence of ON in Italian and Spanish university students in relation to eating attitude and psychological distress, and to compare obesity prevalence and biomarkers of metabolic status, in relation with the consumption of fruits and vegetables. This study was carried out on 160 students recruited at La Sapienza University of Rome and at the Catholic University of Murcia. Food consumption, blood glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides and ketones, blood pressure, and body composition were evaluated. Questionnaires were administered to assessed adherence to Mediterranean diet4-6, level of physical activity (PA)7, ON (ORTO-15 and sub-scores)8-11, body concerns (MBSRQ and BUT12), psychological distress (K1013), eating attitude (EAT-2614) and malnutrition (SSI15). The ORTO-15 positive subjects were above 70% in both Italians and Spaniards, with a higher prevalence in the Spanish sample. According to ORTO-7, about 30% of Italian and 48% of Spanish students were positive to ON. Orthorexia nervosa is an indicator/symptom of other problems related to body image perception, as well as high PA, and psychological distress. ORTO-7 was found to be independent from these confounders, after the exclusion of underweight, overweight, obese and EAT-26 and K10 positive students, suggesting the possibility of defining subjects with ON. Students who consumed at least four servings of fruit and vegetables (FV group) showed better values for pressure and metabolic parameters than the no FV group. Students who consumed more vegetables than fruit reported a better body composition profile and lower glucose concentrations. As previously suggested, in addition to PA, two servings of fruit and three servings of vegetables per day should be recommended. [1] ISSN: 0973-709X. 2014. 8(5):CC05-7. [2] ISSN: 1873-7358. 2016. 21:11-17. [3] ISSN: 1545-7206. 2015. 56(4):397-403. [4] ISSN: 0169-2607. 2006. 83(1):73-77. [5] ISSN: 1932-6203. 2012. 7(8):e43134. [6] ISSN: 1590-3729. 2018. 28(11): 1140-1147. [7] ISSN: 1368-9800. 2006. 9(6):755-762. [8] ISSN: 1124-4909. 2005. 10(2):e28-32. [9] ISSN: 1590-1262. 2020. 25(6): 1771-1778. [10] ISSN: 1932-6203. 2015. 10(8): e135772. [11] ISSN: 1590-1262. 2019. 24(1): 21-28. [12] ISSN: 1590-1262. 2006. 11(1): 1-13. [13] ISSN: 0003-990X. 2003. 60(2): 184-189. [14] ISSN: 0033-2917. 1979. 9(2): 273-279. [15] ISSN: 2072-6643. 2017. 9(9):967.
Assessment of lifestyle, metabolic status and prevalence of orthorexia nervosa in a population of Italian and Spanish university students / Aiello, Paola; Toti, Elisabetta; Villaño Valencia, Débora; Raguzzini, Anna; Peluso, Ilaria. - (2023). (Intervento presentato al convegno 7th Edition of Innovations in Food Science and Human Nutrition tenutosi a Francoforte).
Assessment of lifestyle, metabolic status and prevalence of orthorexia nervosa in a population of Italian and Spanish university students
Paola Aiello;
2023
Abstract
Over the past 20 years there has been an increase in obesity rates among university students1. The interest in a healthy diet can lead to a psychological obsession known as orthorexia nervosa (ON)2,3. The aims of this study were to assess the prevalence of ON in Italian and Spanish university students in relation to eating attitude and psychological distress, and to compare obesity prevalence and biomarkers of metabolic status, in relation with the consumption of fruits and vegetables. This study was carried out on 160 students recruited at La Sapienza University of Rome and at the Catholic University of Murcia. Food consumption, blood glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides and ketones, blood pressure, and body composition were evaluated. Questionnaires were administered to assessed adherence to Mediterranean diet4-6, level of physical activity (PA)7, ON (ORTO-15 and sub-scores)8-11, body concerns (MBSRQ and BUT12), psychological distress (K1013), eating attitude (EAT-2614) and malnutrition (SSI15). The ORTO-15 positive subjects were above 70% in both Italians and Spaniards, with a higher prevalence in the Spanish sample. According to ORTO-7, about 30% of Italian and 48% of Spanish students were positive to ON. Orthorexia nervosa is an indicator/symptom of other problems related to body image perception, as well as high PA, and psychological distress. ORTO-7 was found to be independent from these confounders, after the exclusion of underweight, overweight, obese and EAT-26 and K10 positive students, suggesting the possibility of defining subjects with ON. Students who consumed at least four servings of fruit and vegetables (FV group) showed better values for pressure and metabolic parameters than the no FV group. Students who consumed more vegetables than fruit reported a better body composition profile and lower glucose concentrations. As previously suggested, in addition to PA, two servings of fruit and three servings of vegetables per day should be recommended. [1] ISSN: 0973-709X. 2014. 8(5):CC05-7. [2] ISSN: 1873-7358. 2016. 21:11-17. [3] ISSN: 1545-7206. 2015. 56(4):397-403. [4] ISSN: 0169-2607. 2006. 83(1):73-77. [5] ISSN: 1932-6203. 2012. 7(8):e43134. [6] ISSN: 1590-3729. 2018. 28(11): 1140-1147. [7] ISSN: 1368-9800. 2006. 9(6):755-762. [8] ISSN: 1124-4909. 2005. 10(2):e28-32. [9] ISSN: 1590-1262. 2020. 25(6): 1771-1778. [10] ISSN: 1932-6203. 2015. 10(8): e135772. [11] ISSN: 1590-1262. 2019. 24(1): 21-28. [12] ISSN: 1590-1262. 2006. 11(1): 1-13. [13] ISSN: 0003-990X. 2003. 60(2): 184-189. [14] ISSN: 0033-2917. 1979. 9(2): 273-279. [15] ISSN: 2072-6643. 2017. 9(9):967.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
