Prevalence of orthorexia nervosa and association with mental health among Palestinian physical education students - cross sectional study.

Background: Eating disorders such as orthorexia nervosa (OrNe) are expected to be prevalent among athletes due to the pressure of high physical performance. Consequently, this will have an impact on their mental health. Therefore, this study aimed at evaluating the prevalence of OrNe among student athletes and its relationship with mental health.

Methods: A sample of 272 physical education students was randomly selected to participate in the study. The Arabic Teruel Orthorexia Scale (TOS) was used for OrNe assessment. Mental status was measured using the Arabic version of the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12).

Results: The responses of 272 individuals aged 20.93 ± 3.26 were included in the final analysis. Males represented 45.6%; most of the participants were healthy, non-smokers, not on a diet and having normal weight. Males' mean OrNe scores were higher and significantly different (p = .013) from females' at 9.34 ± 5.21 and 7.86 ± 5.96, respectively. The healthy orthorexia (HeOr) scores for all individuals in this study were 10.81 ± 5.45. While the mean GHQ-12 scores for all participants were 11.55 ± 5.96, with no significant differences between males and females. Moreover, sociodemographic factors have no significant association with OrNe except for sport type, number, and years of playing sports (p < .01). On the other hand, dietary behaviors and BMI scores were significantly associated with OrNe scores (p < .05).

Conclusion: A relatively low prevalence of OrNe was found among the physical education students, with males representing a significantly higher prevalence of OrNe, while mental distress showed no significant link with OrNe. Also, BMI and dietary behaviors were significantly related to OrNe. The findings of this study are essential for informing prevention strategies and targeted interventions within universities and sports communities.