The Relationship Between Orthorexia Nervosa and Social Appearance Anxiety Among Nursing Students

Authors : Ömer Tanrıverdi, Behiye Dilmen Bayar

Pages : 24-32

View : 40 | Download : 71

Publication Date : 2025-12-19

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :This study examined orthorexia nervosa tendencies and their relationship with social appearance anxiety among nursing students enrolled at a public university. The descriptive and correlational sample consisted of 218 voluntarily participating students. Data were collected using an introductory information form, the Teruel Orthorexia Scale (TOS), and the Social Appearance Anxiety Scale (SAAS), and analyzed using SPSS 27.0. Participants had a mean height of 167.30±14.43 cm and a mean weight of 60.24±12.42 kg. Based on BMI classifications, 18.3% were underweight, 70.4% were within the healthy range, and 11.0% were overweight (mean BMI=21.31). Mean scores indicated low levels of orthorexia nervosa (7.50±3.90) and healthy orthorexia (9.96±4.70), while social appearance anxiety levels were moderate (37.61±12.96). A statistically significant positive correlation was found between social appearance anxiety and both orthorexia subdimensions (p<0,05). As social appearance anxiety increased, healthy orthorexia and orthorexia nervosa scores also increased. Socio-demographic factors, eating behaviors, and lifestyle characteristics were also shown to influence orthorexia tendencies and appearance-related anxiety. These findings underline the importance of identifying nursing students at risk for orthorexia nervosa and developing targeted preventive and educational interventions. Further longitudinal and clinical studies are needed to clarify the causal links between orthorexia nervosa and related psychological conditions.
Keywords : Nursing students, orthorexia nervosa, social appearance anxiety

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