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Orthorexia and perfectionism in medical students in Tunisia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 August 2024

A. Mellouli ,
S. Ellouze ,
N. Boussaid ,
M. Turki ,
A. Zribi ,
N. Halouani  and
J. Aloulou
A. Mellouli*
Affiliation:
Psychiatry B, Hedi Chaker University Hospital, Sfax, Tunisia
S. Ellouze
Affiliation:
Psychiatry B, Hedi Chaker University Hospital, Sfax, Tunisia
N. Boussaid
Affiliation:
Psychiatry B, Hedi Chaker University Hospital, Sfax, Tunisia
M. Turki
Affiliation:
Psychiatry B, Hedi Chaker University Hospital, Sfax, Tunisia
A. Zribi
Affiliation:
Psychiatry B, Hedi Chaker University Hospital, Sfax, Tunisia
N. Halouani
Affiliation:
Psychiatry B, Hedi Chaker University Hospital, Sfax, Tunisia
J. Aloulou
Affiliation:
Psychiatry B, Hedi Chaker University Hospital, Sfax, Tunisia
*
*Corresponding author.

Abstract

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Introduction

Orthorexia is defined as a dependence on healthy food or an obsession to consume healthy food. One area deemed influential upon disordered eating and dietary intake is perfectionism.

Objectives

To investigate the relationship between orthorexia and perfectionism in medical students.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional, descriptive, and analytical study in the faculty of medicine of Sfax (Tunisia), between February and April 2023. A self-reported questionnaire was distributed to students via social media. We used ORTO-15 for the assessment of orthorexia, and the Big Three Perfectionism Scale (BTPS) to assess perfectionism.

Results

The research has enrolled 220 students. Their mean age was 21.40±1.68 years, with female predominance (70%). The ORTO-15 mean total score was 36.88±6.76. A total of 60% of participants had an orthorexic behavior. The BTPS mean total score was 45.52±12.45 with a mean score of 13.25±4.35 for rigid perfectionism, 18.31±6.37 for self-critical perfectionism, and 13.99±5.47 for narcissistic perfectionism.

Students with orthorexic behavior had significantly higher scores of perfectionism (p= 0.048).

Conclusions

Our study has drawn a significant association between orthorexia and perfectionism among medical students. This result suggests that students experiencing highly critical and judgemental beliefs associated with perfectionism are more susceptible to orthorexic eating behaviors.

Disclosure of Interest

None Declared

Type
Abstract
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 67 , Special Issue S1: Abstracts of the 32nd European Congress of Psychiatry , April 2024 , pp. S563
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of European Psychiatric Association
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