Examination of orthorexia nervosa frequency and nutritional status in individuals applying to A family health center

The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency and nutritional status of individuals who apply to a family center. This cross-sectional study was conducted with 369 people who applied to a family health center in İstanbul. The data of the research were collected between October-December 2020, using the scale and questionnaire methods based on one's self-report. As data collection tools: Socio-demographic Information Form, the ORTO-11 Scale and EAT-40 Scale were used. In the evaluation of the data, percentage, arithmetic mean Chi-square test, T-test, ANOVA test, Pearson Correlation analyzes were used as a result of the control of number, percentage, arithmetic mean and Kurtosis-Skewness values. 269 of the participants are women and 100 are men and the avarage age is 31.08. 18.3% of women and 11% of men have BMI less than 30. The mean score of the ORTO-11 scale is 25.95±5.06, and the mean score of the ORTO-11 scale in women is 25.49±4.88, the mean score of the ORTO-11 scale is in men 27.17±5.36. It was found that 31.4% of the participants had orthorectic tendency. No statistically significant difference was found between ORTO-11 and gender variable. As age increases, the orthorectic tendency increases. The mean score for EAT-40 scale is 20.15±10,57. There is statistically significant difference in the EAT-40 scale of women in terms of high risk percentage from men. When ORTO-11 and EAT-40 scale were compared statistically, it was found that as EAT-40 increased ORTO-11 decreased. It will be beneficial to use EAT-40 and ORTO-11 scales together in determining orthorectic persons. Ortorexia Nervosa is expected to become an important public health problem in the future. As the age increases, orthorexia nervosa become more important a health issue. In this sense and in the society, there is a need to detect and modificate of false behaviors on nutrition, to raise awareness on the subject in healthcare professionals, and to establish formal diagnostic and evaluation criteria.