Abstract:

Aim:In this study, it was aimed to investigate the effect of nutrition education and self esteem on the frequency of orthorexia nervosa among university students educating on health science field.Material and Methods: A total of 210 volunteer students who were attending Ondokuz Mayıs Üniversitesi Health School (study group) and Health Services Vocational High School (control group) were taken into this study. While students at study group have received nutrition education at various classes, students at control group had not a nutrition course in their curriculum. A questionnaire on demographic information was administered to all participants along with Coopersmith Self Esteem Inventory, Orto - 15 Test, the Maudsley Obsessive Compulsive Inventory. The study was conducted with a total of 164 students whose data were suitable for evaluation. Results:Self-esteem scores were significantly correlated with age, as age increases self-esteem scores is also increasing. It was found a significant relationship between age and obsessive score, obsessive scores is also increasing with increasing age. While Ortho-15 and self-esteem test scores were lower in the control group, obsessive-compulsive symptoms test scores was higher than the study group. When compared by gender, Orto 15 test scores of male students were lower than girls’ scores.Conclusion:It is concluded that the lack of nutrition awareness and self-esteem may contribute to obsessivecompulsive symptoms and the development of orthorexia nervosa

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