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On Orthorexia Nervosa: A Systematic Review of Reviews
Qin Xiang Ng1,2, Dawn Yi Xin Lee3, Chun En Yau4
1Health Services Research Unit, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore, Singapore, ng.qin.xiang@u.nus.edu.
Psychopathology
|March 3, 2024
Summary
Orthorexia nervosa (ON) is a growing mental health concern, but its diagnosis remains challenging due to inconsistent research and measurement tools. Further research is needed to establish clear diagnostic criteria for ON.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Clinical Psychology
- Eating Disorders
Background:
- Orthorexia nervosa (ON) is a pathological preoccupation with healthy eating, increasingly recognized but not formally diagnosed.
- Diagnostic challenges persist due to conceptual and methodological inconsistencies in research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review existing literature on orthorexia nervosa (ON).
- To focus on methodological and conceptual issues surrounding ON diagnosis and assessment.
- To identify gaps in current research for future studies.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review adhering to PRISMA guidelines.
- Searched EMBASE, Medline, and PsycINFO databases up to October 31, 2023.
- Included English-language review articles on ON diagnostic validity, stability, or measurement instruments.
Main Results:
- Reviewed 22 systematic reviews on orthorexia nervosa (ON).
- Found variable prevalence rates and a lack of validated ON assessment tools with clear psychometric properties.
- Highlighted disagreements in conceptualization and diagnostic criteria, with popular instruments like ORTO-15 discouraged.
Conclusions:
- Consistent findings across reviews indicate highly variable prevalence rates for ON.
- Lack of stable psychometric properties and factor structure in ON measures necessitates re-conceptualization.
- Diagnosis of ON is complex, potentially existing on a spectrum from non-pathological to pathological.
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