EVALUATION OF ORTHOREXIA NERVOSA TENDENCY AND SOCIAL MEDIA ADDICTION IN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

Background/Aim: Developments in internet and smartphone technology have increased the use of social media in society. Content regarding healthy nutrition attracts great attention on social media. This situation can lead to various eating disorders, especially in university students who are in an important period of their lives and can be more easily affected by environmental stimuli. Intense exposure to such content on social media can be a trigger for Orthorexia Nervosa (ON), an obsession with healthy eating. This study aimed to determine the frequency of ON tendency in university students, to examine the effects of various factors on ON tendency, and to examine the relationship between social media addiction and ON tendency. Methods: This research, planned as a cross-sectional and descriptive study, was conducted on undergraduate students studying at Alanya Alaaddin Keykubat University. The sample of the research consisted of 1153 students reached by simple random sampling method. Data was collected between September and December 2022 by applying online data collection tools through a structured survey created in Google Forms. Data were collected using a personal information form, Orthorexia-11 scale (ORTO-11) and Bergen social media addiction scale (BSMAS). Results: The average age of the students participating in the research was found to be 20.4±2.0 years. ON tendency was detected as 24%. A significant difference was found between the students' ORTO-11 scores and gender and BMI (p<0.05). A statistically low significant negative relationship was found between ORTO-11 scores and BSMAS scores (r=-0.058, p=0.048). According to this result, as social media addiction increases, the ON tendency also increases. Conclusion: This study showed that social media addiction can affect ON tendency. Social media users should be made aware of choosing experts in their field who provide accurate and reliable information. More and detailed research would be useful to confirm these findings.