Orthorexia Nervosa Risk and Psychological Correlates in Higher-Education Dance Students

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Eating Disorders
• Higher Education Studies

Background:

• Orthorexia nervosa (ON) is understudied in higher-education dance students, especially across various disciplines.
• Limited research exists on ON's psychological correlates in this specific population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of orthorexia nervosa among higher-education dance students in four disciplines.
• To investigate the association between orthorexia nervosa, psychological distress, and body dissatisfaction.
• To identify predictors of orthorexia nervosa risk in this population.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study with 318 higher-education dance students.
• Assessed orthorexia using ORTHO-15 and Teruel Orthorexia Scale.
• Measured psychological distress (K10) and body dissatisfaction (BSQ-16).
• Employed ANOVA, chi-square tests, Spearman correlations, and logistic regression with ROC analysis.

Main Results:

• Orthorexia nervosa risk was strongly correlated with psychological distress (ρ=0.802) and body dissatisfaction (ρ=0.516).
• Psychological distress (OR=1.316), body dissatisfaction (OR=1.045), and sex (OR=6.810) were independent predictors of ON risk.
• Dance discipline did not independently predict ON risk in the adjusted model.
• The predictive model showed high accuracy (AUC=0.945).

Conclusions:

• Psychological vulnerability, rather than specific dance training, is more closely linked to orthorexia nervosa risk in dance students.
• Highlights the need for psychological monitoring and integrated health strategies in dance programs.
• Emphasizes supporting student wellbeing through mental health interventions.