Bidimensional Orthorexia’s Relationship with Personality Traits and Body Image among Medical Undergraduate Students; A Cross-sectional Study

Introduction: Orthorexia nervosa (OrNe) is characterized by an obsessive focus on healthy eating, leading to functional impairment. Healthcare professionals, particularly medical students, may be more vulnerable to orthorexia due to specific personality traits and body image concerns. Despite its relevance, there is limited research on orthorexia within the Indian context. Aim: This study aimed to examine the relationship between personality traits, body image, and the two dimensions of orthorexia: healthy orthorexia (HeOr) and OrNe. Subjects and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among medical undergraduate students at a multi-specialty tertiary care hospital. After obtaining ethical clearance, students aged ≥ 18 were recruited. Those with probable eating disorders were excluded using the SCOFF questionnaire. Data were collected through Google Forms and included a semi-structured pro forma, the Personality Inventory for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders , 5 th edition – Brief Form (PID-5-BF), the Multidimensional Body Self Relations Questionnaire-Appearance Scales, and the Teruel Orthorexia Scale. Results: Out of 288 respondents, 54 were excluded, yielding a 92.6% response rate. The mean age was 21 years; 59.7% were female, and 58.8% belonged to an upper-middle-class background. The mean HeOr score was 8.4 (standard deviation [SD] =6.16), and OrNe was 7.31 (SD = 5.61). Significant positive correlations were found between antagonism and psychoticism with both HeOr and OrNe. Body image concerns, particularly overweight preoccupation and self-classified weight, showed significant associations with both dimensions of orthorexia. Conclusion: This study suggests that maladaptive personality traits and distorted body image perceptions may contribute to orthorexic tendencies in medical students, emphasizing the need for early identification and interventions.