Relationship Between Orthorexia Nervosa, Eating Attitudes and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Among Nursing Students: A Cross-Sectional Study
Methods: The study was designed as a descriptive, cross-sectional study. Participants were selected using purposive sampling. Descriptive Characteristics Information Form, Orthorexia-11 Scale, Eating Attitudes Test (EAT) and Padua Inventory-Washington State University Revision (PI-WSUR) scales were used. This study was reported in accordance with the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology checklist for cross-sectional studies.
Results: The mean score was 19.11±11.53 in the EAT participants, 28.30±4.16 in the Orthorexia-11 Scale and 56.35±23.85 in the PI-WSUR. A positive correlation was found between the participants’ orthorexia nervosa tendencies and obsessive-compulsive symptoms. It was observed that as the participants' EAT mean scores increased, their obsessive-compulsive symptoms also increased. In the regression analysis, it was seen that orthorexia nervosa tendencies and eating attitudes were significant predictors of obsessive-compulsive symptoms.
Conclusions: The findings obtained from the study are important in terms of shedding light on the relationship between orthorexia nervosa, eating attitudes and obsessive-compulsive symptoms in nursing students. Given that health sciences students are a high-risk group for eating disorders, it is essential to include courses on eating disorders in the curriculum and implement regular psychological screenings in universities.
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- Article Type Research Article
- Submitted February 21, 2026
- Published March 14, 2026
- Issue 2026: Online First
- Section Research Article
