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Orthorexia nervosa and psychosocial impairment from a multidimensional perspective: a structural equation modelling approach

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Abstract

Orthorexia Nervosa (ON) is a proposed clinical condition characterised by an excessive fixation on consuming healthy and pure foods, leading to strict dietary restrictions and potentially negative consequences for both mental and physical health. Despite its increasing prevalence, ON has yet to be classified as a distinct disorder within diagnostic classification systems. To promote its recognition as a formal disorder, it is pivotal to establish a significant association between ON symptoms and psychosocial impairment. To this end, we adopted a multidimensional perspective and explored a broad range of psychosocial domains to address this knowledge gap. A total of 261 participants aged 18–73 years (Mage = 30.03 years, 85% women) were enrolled and completed self-report questionnaires including the Düsseldorf Orthorexia Scale and the Barkley Functional Impairment Scale. Structural equation modelling revealed significant and positive associations between ON symptoms and impairment in several psychosocial domains. These domains included home life with immediate family, household chores, social relationships with acquaintances and friends, sexual activities, financial management, self-care in everyday life, and educational activities. Overall, the presence of ON symptoms appears to have a significant impact on individuals’ daily functioning across various psychosocial domains. These findings emphasize the importance of early identification and intervention for individuals who exhibit symptoms of ON, as well as the need for further research to inform the development of effective treatments and support for this emerging clinical condition.

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The datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are not publicly available due to ethical restrictions but are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Elena Fraioli and Alessio Frattini who participated in data collection.

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No funding was received for conducting this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via dei Marsi 78, 00185, Rome, Italy

    Andrea Zagaria, Mariacarolina Vacca, Silvia Cerolini, Claudio Barbaranelli & Caterina Lombardo

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  1. Andrea Zagaria
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  2. Mariacarolina Vacca
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  3. Silvia Cerolini
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  4. Claudio Barbaranelli
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  5. Caterina Lombardo
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Contributions

Conceptualization, Andrea Zagaria; Data curation, Andrea Zagaria; Formal analysis, Andrea Zagaria; Methodology, Andrea Zagaria, Claudio Barbaranelli, Caterina Lombardo; Supervision, Caterina Lombardo, Claudio Barbaranelli; Writing – original draft, Andrea Zagaria, Mariacarolina Vacca, Silvia Cerolini; Writing – review & editing, Claudio Barbaranelli, Caterina Lombardo.

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Correspondence to Andrea Zagaria.

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The study was reviewed and approved by the Institutional Review Board of the Department of Psychology at Sapienza University of Rome (prot. 0000271; 17/02/2022).

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Zagaria, A., Vacca, M., Cerolini, S. et al. Orthorexia nervosa and psychosocial impairment from a multidimensional perspective: a structural equation modelling approach. Curr Psychol 43, 15397–15407 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-023-05513-0

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