The determination of the relationship between food neophobia and orthorexia nervosa, mindful eating and body perception in adults

This study was conducted to determine the relationship between food neophobia and orthorexia nervosa, mindful eating and body perception in adults between August and October 2023 with the participation of 140 volunteer individuals (41.4% men, 58.6% women) aged between 18-64 residing in Zonguldak province. General information about the individuals, their nutritional habits and anthropometric measurements were recorded in the survey form. Individuals' obsessive-compulsive disorder tendencies were measured by the Maudsley Obsessive Compulsive Inventory (MOCI), orthorexia nervosa tendencies were measured by the ORTO-11 Scale, mindful eating was measured by the Mindful Eating Questionnary (MEQ), food neophobia was measured by the Food Neophobia Scale (FNS), and their body perception score were measured by the Body Appreciation Scale (BAS). The International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form (IPAQ-SF) was used for the physical activity scores of the individuals, and the 24-Hour Dietary Recall was used for the food consumption record. The average age of the individuals participating in the study is 42.7±12.49 years. It was determined that 42.1% of the individuals were neophilic and 50.0% were neophobic. The total mean score of male and female individuals from FNS was determined as 40.2±11.14 and 40.6±11.58, respectively (p>0.05). It was determined that individuals between the ages of 19-29 had a lower fear of trying new foods compared to individuals in other age groups (p <0.05). There was no significant difference between FNS classification (neophilic, neutral, neophobic) and BMI classes (p>0.05). According to the FNS classification, the mean of doubting and total MOCI score of neutral individuals was found to be significantly lower than the mean score of neophobic individuals (p<0.05). According to the ORTO-11 score classification, there was no significant difference in the FNS total score of the individuals (p>0.05). The mean scores of neophilic individuals, impulsively eating and conscious eating, which are sub-dimensions of the MEQ, were found to be lower than neutral individuals (p<0.05). It was determined that individuals' BAS classification did not have a significant effect on the FNS total score (p>0.05). It was determined that there was no significant correlation between the individuals' FNS score and the consumed energy and nutrients (p>0.05). In addition, as individuals' MOCI scores increase, ORTO-11 scores decrease; orthorexic tendencies were found to increase (p<0.05). Increasing in orthorexic tendency; caused decrease in body appreciation and eating awareness (p<0.05). ORTO-11 score; It was determined that there was no significant correlation between age, body weight and BMI (p>0.05). It has been observed that body appreciation increases as body weight and BMI values decrease; It was determined that as body appreciation decreased, BMI and body weight increased (p<0.05). A negative correlation was found between the BAS total score and the percentage of fat from total dietary energy. increasing the percentage of consumed energy coming from fat caused body dissatisfaction in individuals (p<0.05). According to these results, it is very important for healthcare professionals to screen individuals with neophobic characteristics for other possible underlying conditions, and to make the necessary interventions with a multidisciplinary team before these problems hinder the individual's well-being in the future. Keywords: Food neophobia, orthorexia nervosa, mindful eating, body perception, obsessive compulsive disorder