Comparison of exercise dependence, eating attitude disorder and risk of orthorexia nervosa among regular students and student athletes

Abstract

Objective: Exercise dependence and eating disorders are growing up among university students. This study aimed to compare exercise dependence, eating attitude, and orthorexic tendencies between regular students and student athletes. Material and Methods: A total of 168 students, 66 of whom were athletes participated in this study. Participants completed Exercise Dependence Scale-21 (EDS-21), Eating Attitude Test-40 (EAT-40), and Orthorexia Nervosa-11 (ORTO-11) scales. Anthropometric measurements were performed by the researchers. The data were analyzed using the SPSS version 25 and the significance level was accepted as p<0.05. Results: While there were no students with exercise dependence among regular students, 10.6% of the student athletes were found to be exercise dependent (p<0.001). Orthorexic tendencies of student athletes were found to be higher (p=0.045). There was no significant difference between the groups in terms of eating attitude disorder (p=0.253). The EDS-21 scores were moderately positively correlated with the orthorexic tendency (r=0.446) and the EAT-40 scores (r=0.397) (for each p<0.05). Sports experience was also associated with exercise dependence (r=0.363) and orthorexic tendency (r=0.195) (p<0.05). Conclusion: Student athletes, especially those with a longer sports experience are at higher risk of exercise dependence and have higher orthorexic tendencies compared to regular students. Health professionals who involve in the sports teams should be aware of these risks and monitor the students in terms of exercise dependence and orthorexia nervosa.