Assessing Orthorexia Nervosa Among University Students: An Observational Study Analyzing Prevalence and Psychological Characteristics

Background/Objectives: The prevalence of orthorexia nervosa (ON) is increasing over time. Additionally, specific social categories seem to be more affected. In the literature, the prevalence of university students suffering from ON is unclear, ranging from 7% to 83%. Nonetheless, ON shares pathological traits with both eating and obsessive-compulsive disorders, making its etiology and therapeutic perspectives complex. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of ON and explore its psychological characteristics in a sample of university students. Methods: A total of 205 students from the University of Parma were consecutively recruited using a convenience sampling procedure. Participants completed the Orthorexia Nervosa Questionnaire-15 (ORTO-15) to assess ON, the Eating Disorder Inventory-3 (EDI-3) to investigate eating behavior, the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R) to detect psychological symptoms, and the P Stress Questionnaire (PSQ) to describe stress-related lifestyle. Based on the scores obtained on the ORTO-15, a group of orthorexic students (ORTO-15 score <= 35) was compared with a group of non-orthorexic students (ORTO-15 score > 35). Results: The prevalence of university students with ON was nearly 42% (specifically, 41.95%). Furthermore, orthorexic students reported significantly higher levels of emotional dysregulation, perfectionism, and asceticism on the EDI-3 as well as affective problems and overcontrol in general. Furthermore, although there were no differences between the groups regarding psychological symptoms, an increase in sense of responsibility, vigor, and hyperactivity, as well as decreased free time on the PSQ, characterized the orthorexic student group. Conclusions: The results support that orthorexia nervosa emerged as a concerning phenomenon among university students, with increasing evidence pointing to its psychological correlates. Nonetheless, the fact that ON shares psychological characteristics with eating disorders highlights the clinical importance of implementing multidimensional assessments and multidisciplinary therapeutic approaches for individuals presenting with orthorexic-type eating behavior disorders.