TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2020//
TI  - Orthorexic tendencies in the general population: association with demographic data, psychiatric symptoms, and utilization of mental health services
JO  - Eating and weight disorders - studies on anorexia, bulimia and obesity
A1  - Greetfeld, Martin
A1  - Hessler-Kaufmann, Johannes Baltasar
A1  - Brandl, Beate
A1  - Skurk, Tomas
A1  - Holzapfel, Christina
A1  - Quadflieg, Norbert
A1  - Schlegl, Sandra
A1  - Hauner, Hans
A1  - Voderholzer, Ulrich
SP  - ePub
EP  - ePub
VL  - ePub
IS  - ePub
N2  - PURPOSE: Orthorexia nervosa (ON) is characterized by a preoccupation to eat healthily and restrictive eating habits despite negative psychosocial and physical consequences. As a relatively new construct, its prevalence and correlates in the general population and the associated utilization of mental health services are unclear.     METHODS: Adults from the general population completed the Düsseldorf Orthorexia Scale (DOS), the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ), the Short Eating Disorder Examination (SEED).     RESULTS: Five-hundred eleven (63.4% female) participants with a mean age of 43.39 (SD = 18.06) completed the questionnaires. The prevalence of ON according to the DOS was 2.3%. Considering only effects of at least intermediate size, independent samples t-tests suggested higher DOS scores for persons with bulimia nervosa (p < .001, Cohen's d = 1.14), somatoform syndrome (p = .012, d = .60), and major depressive syndrome (compared p < .001, d = 1.78) according to PHQ as well as those who reported to always experience fear of gaining weight (p < .001, d = 1.78). The DOS score correlated moderately strong and positively with the PHQ depression (r = .37, p < .001) and stress (r = .33, p < .001) scores as well as the SEED bulimia score (r = .32, p < .001). In multivariate logistic regression analyses, only PHQ depression scores were associated with past psychotherapeutic or psychiatric treatment (OR = 1.20, p = .002) and intake of psychotropic medication in the last year (OR = 1.22, p = .013).     CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of ON was low compared to international studies but is in line with other non-representative German studies. Orthorexic tendencies related to general mental distress and eating disorder symptoms but were no independent reason for seeking treatment.     LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level V, cross-sectional descriptive study.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 1124-4909
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s40519-020-00961-0
ID  - ref1
ER  -