Orthorexia symptoms and disordered eating behaviors in young women with cancer

A cancer diagnosis can motivate people to modify behaviors believed to influence prognosis or recurrence risk, including their eating habits. Orthorexia is a type of disordered eating that involves an extreme fixation on healthy eating. The current study examined: 1) the presence of orthorexia symptoms and disordered eating behavior in young adult women with cancer; 2) factors associated with orthorexia and disordered eating behaviors; and 3) the type and frequency of eating behavior changes made following cancer diagnosis.

Young adult women with cancer participated in an online survey. The Düsseldorf Orthorexia Scale measured orthorexia symptoms and the Eating Habits Questionnaire assessed disordered eating behaviors. Fear of cancer recurrence, body image satisfaction, intolerance of uncertainty, internet use, and eating habit changes were also assessed.

Of participants (N = 93), 36.7 % scored in the clinical range for orthorexia symptoms. A greater perceived knowledge of nutrition was related to higher cancer-related body image dissatisfaction (p = .03) and more years of education (p = .001). Approaching statistical significance (p = .05) were a positive correlation between intolerance of uncertainty and orthorexia symptom severity, a positive correlation between fear of cancer recurrence and problems associated with eating habits, and a negative correlation between internet use and positive emotions associated with healthy eating habits. Overall, 44.1 % of young adult women changed their eating habits since their cancer diagnosis and 69.9 % intended to in the next year.

Young adult women with cancer show elevated orthorexia symptoms and disordered eating behaviors, which are associated with potentially modifiable psychosocial factors.