Prevalence of Orthorexia Nervosa and associated risk factors : a cross sectional study among university students in Lebanon

Abstract

Introduction: Orthorexia Nervosa (ON), or the obsession with healthy eating is a new eating disorder that has gained popularity in the recent years. A very limited amount of literature exists regarding ON in Arab countries including Lebanon. The objective of the current study was to assess the prevalence of ON in a representative sample of Lebanese university students, and different factors that might affect ON development. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study on 349 university students from three Lebanese regions: Mount Lebanon, North, and Shouf. The ORTO-15 scale was used to assess ON prevalence among the participants and associated factors. Results: The results showed that 84.8% of our sample has ON tendencies. The results of the multivariate analysis while taking ON as the dependent variable showed that; female gender (Beta= 1.33, p=0.016), studying a non-scientific major (Beta= 2.13, p=0.002), drinking 1-2 glasses of alcohol per week (Beta= 0.45, p=0.025), following a diet targeted at increasing muscle mass (Beta= 3.52, p=0.011), and having a similar financial situation than other people of the same age (Beta= 1.05, p=0.032) to be significantly associated with a higher risk of ON behaviors. Conclusion: A high prevalence of ON was observed in our sample. Lebanese university students might be fixated on a healthy and proper nutrition especially due to the influence of social media. Awareness needs to be raised regarding ON and its consequences. Level of evidence: Level 5, Cross-sectional descriptive study.