Alcohol Consumption by Italian and Spanish University Students in Relation to Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet and to the Food Neophobia: A Pilot Study

A Study of the Relationship between University Students' Food Neophobia and Their Tendencies towards Orthorexia Nervosa

Food neophobia, known as an avoidance of the consumption of unknown foods, can negatively impact nutritional quality. In orthorexia nervosa, there is an excessive mental effort to consume healthy food. Individuals exhibiting symptoms of food neophobia and orthorexia nervosa may experience food restrictions. This study aimed to assess food neophobia levels and orthorexia nervosa tendencies among university students, investigate the potential association between the two constructs, and explore the effect of the demographic characteristics of the participants on the variables. This is a descriptive cross-sectional study. The study sample consisted of 609 students enrolled at Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University. The data were collected through Google Forms using a sociodemographic information form, the Food Neophobia Scale, and the ORTO-11 scale. Ethics committee approval and institutional permission were obtained for the study. Of the students participating in the survey, 71.9% were female, 14.6% were classified as neophobic, and 47.1% had orthorexia nervosa symptoms. The mean scores from the Food Neophobia Scale (39.41 ± 9.23) and the ORTO-11 scale (27.43 ± 5.35) were in the normal range. Food neophobia was significantly higher among those who did not consume alcohol. Orthorexia nervosa symptoms were significantly more common among married people. In the correlation analysis, no significant relationship was found between age, food neophobia, and orthorexia nervosa. It can be said that food neophobia in this study is similar to in other studies conducted on university students. In addition, about half of the participants had symptoms of orthorexia nervosa. This result is higher compared to other studies conducted with university students. The findings of this study indicate that the participants care about the healthfulness of food.

Overlap of orthorexia, eating attitude and psychological distress in some Italian and Spanish university students

BACKGROUND

Orthorexia nervosa (ON) is the persistent concern of maintaining the self-imposed diet to improve one's health. Many factors have been associated to ON in univ-ersity students.

AIM

To assess the prevalence of ON in Italian and Spanish university students in relation to eating attitude and psychological distress, and the possible overlaps between ON (evaluated with different scored questionnaires from the originally proposed ORTO-15), distress and risk of eating disorders.

METHODS

This study was carried out on 160 students recruited at La Sapienza University of Rome and at the Catholic University of Murcia. Questionnaires were administered to evaluate ON (ORTO-15 and sub-scores), body concerns (Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire, MBSRQ, and Body Uneasiness test, BUT), psychological distress (Kessler Psychological Distress Scale, K10), physical activity (International Physical Activity Questionnaire, IPAQ), eating attitude (Eating Attitudes Test, EAT-26) and malnutrition (Starvation Symptom Inventory, SSI). Sex differences, within the same country, and differences between Italian and Spanish students, within the same sex, were evaluated.

RESULTS

The ORTO-15 positive subjects, assessed with the originally proposed cut-off, were above 70% in both Italian and Spanish students, with a higher prevalence in the Spanish sample (Italian females 76.3%, Italian males 70.7%; Spanish females 97.0%, Spanish males 96.3%). According to ORTO-7, about 30% of Italian and 48% of Spanish students were positive to ON with no significant sex differences. When excluding students underweight (UW), overweight (OW) or obese (OB), as well as those potentially at risk of eating disorders or presenting mild, moderate and severe distress, in the resultant normal weight (NW)-K10^neg-EAT-26^neg subgroup, we did not find many correlations observed in the whole sample, including those between ORTO scores and BUT, SSI, Total MBSRQ and some of its components. Moreover, ORTO-7 resulted in the only ON score unrelated with Body Mass Index, MBSRQ components and IPAQ-assessed intense activity, in the NW-K10^neg-EAT-26^neg subgroup. After this sort of “exclusion diagnosis”, the prevalence of ON of these students on the overall sample resulted in 16.9%, 12.2%, 15.2% and 25.9% for Italian females, Italian males, Spanish females and Spanish males, respectively.

CONCLUSION

In some university students ON could be a symptom of other conditions related to body image concerns and distress, as well as to high physical activity and appearance, fitness, health or illness orientation (from MBSRQ). However, ORTO-7 became independent from these confounding variables, after the exclusion of UW, OW, OB and students positive to EAT-26 and K10, suggesting the possibility of identifying orthorexic subjects with this specific questionnaire.

Body Composition and Metabolic Status of Italian and Spanish University Students: Relationship with Fruit and Vegetable Consumption

Most university students do not follow recommendations for fruit and vegetable intake, with a consequent increase in the prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors. The aim of this study was to compare obesity prevalence and biomarkers of metabolic status between Italian and Spanish university students, in relation with the consumption of fruits and vegetables. Food consumption, adherence to a Mediterranean diet (MD), level of physical activity (PA), blood glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides and ketones, blood pressure, and body composition were evaluated. Among CVD risk factors, only glucose was significantly higher in Spaniards (SP), and only 3.1% of SP presented ketosis. SP had a higher percentage of energy from fat. Although adherence to MD and fruit and vegetable consumption did not differ between Italians and SP, students who consumed at least four servings of fruit and vegetables (FV group) showed better values for pressure and metabolic parameters than the no FV group. We observed an association between consumption of fruit and PA. Students who consumed more vegetables than fruit reported a better body composition profile and lower glucose concentrations. As previously suggested, in addition to PA, two servings of fruit and three servings of vegetables per day should be recommended.

Analysis of the Lifestyle of Spanish Undergraduate Nursing Students and Comparison with Students of Other Degrees

Background: Nursing students are exposed to concepts of healthy lifestyles while they are attending university. Objective: The aim of this study was to analyze whether nursing students have a healthier lifestyle than non-nursing students and to determine whether their behaviour is consistent with their beliefs. Methods: A cross-sectional study, with 293 university students was performed by using a validated questionnaire to measure beliefs and behaviour regarding health. Results: The lifestyle pattern of the nursing students evaluated was characterised by a high percentage of nurses with low levels of physical activity, poor balanced diet and smoking habits. The comparative analysis showed no significant differences between nursing students and students from other degrees. Conclusions: Students have a positive attitude and knowledge about healthy lifestyle, but do not transfer it to their own lives. Nurses’ lifestyle can unintentionally affect the behaviour of other people through their own behaviour and beliefs because they serve as a model for a healthy lifestyle. These findings support that nurse educators have an active role as promoter of health by using lessons to modify the behaviour of their students.