An Evaluation of Orthorexia Nervosa Tendencies in Relation to Nutritional Knowledge and Anthropometric Measurements in Teachers

Öz

Orthorexia nervosa is characterized by an obsession with healthy eating and an excessive focus on strict food quality standards, food preparation, and dietary norms. Individuals' efforts to access safe foods for health reasons can lead to the development of eating disorders, particularly orthorexia nervosa. This study aimed to assess teachers' tendencies toward orthorexia nervosa and its impact on their nutrition knowledge, food preferences, and anthropometric measurements. The study was conducted in a cross-sectional design with 200 teachers from various branches from Çengelköy Final Schools in Istanbul between January and May 2024. The Teruel Orthorexia Scale (TOS), which evaluates orthorexia tendencies, and the Nutrition Knowledge Level Scale for Adults (YETBID), which measures nutrition knowledge, were administered face-to-face by the researchers. Additionally, anthropometric measurements, including height, body weight, and body mass index (BMI), were recorded. The results indicated that female teachers exhibited higher tendencies toward orthorexia; however, no significant relationship was found between these tendencies and anthropometric measurements. Teachers' nutrition knowledge levels were deemed moderate, but no significant association was observed between orthorexia tendencies and nutrition knowledge. These findings suggest that female teachers may be more susceptible to orthorexia, and factors beyond nutrition knowledge and anthropometric measurements may play a role in this condition. Further research is needed to investigate additional variables that may influence orthorexia tendencies within this population.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Anthropometric measurement
• eating habits
• nutritional knowledge
• orthorexia nervosa

Destekleyen Kurum

TÜBİTAK

Proje Numarası

1919B012326232

Etik Beyan

Ethics committee approval for this study, Istinye University Social and Human Sciences Research Ethics Committee. Retrieved from the Ethics Committee (Date: 25.12.2023 and Decision No: 2023/11, 120). It is declared that in the preparation process of this study, scientific and ethical principles, research principles in the Declaration of Helsinki were adhered to, and all the studies used were cited in the bibliography.

Teşekkür

The research was supported by TÜBİTAK 2209-A project, Project no: 1919B012326232.

Öğretmenlerde Ortoreksiya Nervoza Eğilimlerinin Beslenme Bilgisi ve Antropometrik Ölçümlerle İlişkisinin Değerlendirilmesi

Öz

Ortoreksiya nervoza, sağlıklı beslenmeye takıntı ve katı gıda kalite standartları, besin hazırlığı ve diyet normlarına aşırı odaklanma olarak tanımlanmaktadır. Bireylerin sağlıkları için güvenli besinlere ulaşma çabaları, özellikle ortoreksiya nervoza gibi yeme bozukluklarının gelişmesine yol açabilmektedir. Bu çalışmanın amacı, öğretmenlerin ortoreksiya nervoza eğilimlerini belirlemek ve bunun beslenme bilgisi düzeyleri, besin tercihleri ve antropometrik ölçümler üzerindeki etkisini değerlendirmektir. Çalışma, 2024 yılının Ocak-Mayıs ayları arasında İstanbul’daki Çengelköy Final Okulları’ndan çeşitli branşlardan 200 öğretmen ile kesitsel bir tasarımda yürütülmüştür. Ortoreksiya eğilimini değerlendiren Teruel Ortoreksiya Ölçeği (TOS) ve beslenme bilgisini ölçen Yetişkinler İçin Beslenme Bilgi Düzeyi Ölçeği (YETBID) araştırmacılar tarafından yüz yüze uygulanmış, ayrıca boy uzunluğu, vücut ağırlığı ve beden kütle indeksi (BKİ) gibi antropometrik ölçümler kaydedilmiştir. Sonuçlar, kadın öğretmenlerin ortoreksiya eğilimlerinin daha yüksek olduğunu, ancak antropometrik ölçümlerle anlamlı bir ilişki bulunmadığını göstermiştir. Öğretmenlerin beslenme bilgi düzeylerinin orta düzeyde olduğu belirlenmiş, fakat ortoreksiya ile beslenme bilgisi arasında anlamlı bir ilişki gözlemlenmemiştir. Bu bulgular, kadın öğretmenlerin ortoreksiya konusunda daha duyarlı olabileceğini ve beslenme bilgisi ile antropometrik ölçümler dışında başka faktörlerin de bu duruma katkıda bulunabileceğini göstermektedir. Ortoreksiya eğilimlerini etkileyebilecek ek değişkenleri tespit etmek için daha fazla araştırmaya ihtiyaç vardır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Antropometrik ölçüm
• beslenme bilgisi
• ortoreksiya nervoza
• yeme alışkanlıkları

Destekleyen Kurum

TÜBİTAK

Proje Numarası

1919B012326232

Etik Beyan

Bu çalışma için etik kurul onayı, İstinye Üniversitesi İnsan Araştırmaları Etik Kurulu’ndan alınmıştır (Tarih: 25.12.2023 ve Karar No: 2023/11, 120). Bu çalışmanın hazırlanma sürecinde bilimsel ve etik ilkelere, Helsinki Bildirgesi’ndeki araştırma ilkelerine bağlı kalınmış ve yararlanılan tüm çalışmalar kaynakçada belirtilmiştir.

Teşekkür

Araştırma, TÜBİTAK 2209-A projesi (Proje No: 1919B012326232) tarafından desteklenmiştir.

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