Evaluation of the relationship between Orthorexia nervosa tendency and health anxiety and generalized anxiety disorder in people applying to the Family Medicine Polyclinic

Nutrition is the use of nutrients in adequate amounts and at the right time for growth, development, maintenance of life and protection of health. Adequate and balanced nutrition is an extremely important factor in improving and sustaining public health. Eating disorders, which are defined as changes in eating frequency and pattern in a way that affects health, cause many diseases today. One of these diseases is anxiety. Individuals with high levels of anxiety may develop overeating, restriction or other unhealthy eating habits to cope with stress. Orthorexia neurosis, which is an eating disorder and can be defined as an obsession about healthy eating, can also cause anxiety and disruption of a balanced and adequate diet. The aim of this study was to measure people's vulnerability for orthorexia neurosis and to determine its association with health anxiety and risk of generalized anxiety disorder. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional and descriptive study was conducted between July and September 2024. The study included 415 people aged between 18 and 65 years who applied to the Family Medicine Outpatient Clinic of a university hospital and who did not have a diagnosed psychiatric disorder. Ethics committee approval of the study was obtained. A form inquiring sociodemographic characteristics, Orthorexia Neurosis scale (Ortho-11), Health Anxiety (HA) Questionnaire and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) tests were used as data collection tools. The data were analyzed using SPSS 27.0 program. Results: Of the participants, 53% were male (n=220). The mean age was 33.8±10.9 years. The mean scale scores were 26.3±4.8 (12-41) for Ortho-11, 16.8±6.8 (1-38) for HA scale, and 6.5±4.7 (0-21) for the GAD-7 scale. A significant and negative correlation was found between age and Ortho-11 (r=-0.133, p=0.007), HA (r=-0.142, p= 0.004), and GAD-7 (r=-0.227, p<0.001). There was a significant and negative correlation between Ortho-11 and HA scale scores (r=-0.130, p=0.008). A significant and positive correlation (r=0.412, p<0.001) was found between the HA and the GAD-7 scale scores. There was no significant correlation between Ortho-11 score and the GAD-7 score (r=-0.055, p=0.263). It was found that Ortho-11 and GAD-7 scale scores did not show a significant difference in terms of gender (p=0.443 and p=0.062, respectively), but HA scale scores were significantly higher in women (p=0.002). Scale scores did not differ according to educational status (all p values>0.05). It was observed that all scale scores of the unmarried participants were significantly higher (p<0.001, p=0.003, p<0.001, respectively). Conclusion: It was found that the findings of orthorexia neurosis did not differ according to gender or educational status, and those who were not married were more sensitive to this issue. Although there are researhes showing a relationship between orthorexia neurosis and anxiety symptoms, no significant correlation was found between Ortho-11 and GAD-7 scale scores in our study. On the other hand, there was a significant relationship between Ortho-11 and HA inventory score and contrary to the general belief, the correlation was weak and negative. This was attributed to the fact that the sample was taken from the outpatient clinic of a tertiary hospital and randomization was not achieved. Larger and more representative samples and longitudinal studies are needed to reveal the prevalence of orthorexia neurosis in the community and its relationship with anxiety more clearly. Keywords: Orthorexia neurosa, Health Anxiety, Anxiety