Obsessive-compulsive symptoms and orthorexia nervosa in medical students: A web-based, cross-sectional study

Abstract

Aim: This study aimed to determine medical students' tendency to orthorexia nervosa (ON) and investigate the role of obsessive-compulsive symptoms on these attitudes. Materials and methods: This descriptive study was conducted with 822 medical students. The data were collected via an online survey. A sociodemographic information form, the ORTO-11 scale, and the Maudsley Obsessive Compulsive Symptom Inventory (MOCI) were used as data collection forms. Results: The mean age of the students was 20.5±2.1 (range 18-32) years, and 50.7% (n=417) were female. Orthorexia tendency was detected as 19% (n=156). A significant negative relationship was found between the students' ORTO-11 and MOCI scores (p<0.001). There was no significant difference between ORTO-11 and MOCI scores according to sex and years of training. Participants who did not eat at night, did not consume packaged food, checked the expiration date and content of the food, and had regular meals had significantly lower ORTO-11 scores. There was no significant relationship between students' mean body mass index and their ORTO-11 and MOCI scores (p>0.05 for all). Conclusion: The study results show that the tendency to ON is high among medical students. ON is more common in students with obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Interventions to eliminate obsessive-compulsive symptoms should be added to the fight against ON.

Keywords

• Medical students
• orthorexia
• obsessive-compulsive symptoms

Tıp öğrencilerinde obsesif-kompulsif belirtiler ve ortoreksiya nervoza: Web tabanlı, kesitsel bir çalışma

Abstract

Amaç: Bu çalışmanın amacı tıp öğrencilerinin ortoreksiya nervoza (ON) eğilimlerini belirlemek ve obsesif-kompulsif belirtilerin bu tutumlar üzerindeki rolünü araştırmaktır. Gereç ve Yöntem: Bu tanımlayıcı çalışma 822 tıp öğrencisi ile yürütülmüştür. Veriler çevrimiçi bir anket aracılığıyla toplanmıştır. Veri toplama formu olarak sosyodemografik bilgi formu, ORTO-11 ölçeği ve Maudsley Obsesif Kompulsif Belirti Envanteri (MOCI) kullanılmıştır. Bulgular: Öğrencilerin yaş ortalaması 20.5±2.1 (dağılım 18-32) yıl olup, %50.7'si (n=417) kadındır. Ortoreksiya eğilimi %19 (n=156) olarak tespit edilmiştir. Öğrencilerin ORTO-11 ve MOCI puanları arasında negatif yönde anlamlı bir ilişki bulunmuştur (p<0.001). Cinsiyet ve eğitim yılına göre ORTO-11 ve MOCI puanları arasında anlamlı bir fark bulunmamıştır (p>0.05). Gece yemek yemeyen, paketli gıda tüketmeyen, gıdaların son kullanma tarihini ve içeriğini kontrol eden ve düzenli öğün yapan katılımcıların ORTO-11 puanları anlamlı derecede düşüktü. Öğrencilerin ortalama vücut kitle indeksi ile ORTO-11 ve MOCI puanları arasında anlamlı bir ilişki bulunmamıştır (tümü için p>0.05). Sonuç: Çalışma sonuçları, tıp öğrencileri arasında ON eğiliminin yüksek olduğunu göstermektedir. Obsesif-kompulsif semptomları olan öğrencilerde ON daha yaygındır. ON ile mücadeleye obsesif-kompulsif belirtileri ortadan kaldırmaya yönelik müdahaleler de eklenmelidir.

Keywords

• Tıp öğrencisi
• ortoreksi
• obsesif kompülsif belirtiler

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