Orthorexia Nervosa Practices in Rheumatoid Arthritis: The DORA Study

• Published in: Nutrients Vol. 15; no. 3; p. 713
• Main Authors: Sifakaki, Maria, Gkiouras, Konstantinos, Lindqvist, Helen M., Marakis, Georgios, Petropoulou, Anastasia, Donini, Lorenzo M., Bogdanos, Dimitrios P., Grammatikopoulou, Maria G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 31.01.2023; MDPI
• Subjects: Adult; adults; Arthritis, Rheumatoid; Body mass index; Cancer therapies; chronic diseases; Chronic illnesses; Complications and side effects; Confidence intervals; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dependent variables; Diet; Diet therapy; Dietary supplements; Disease management; Eating behavior; Eating disorders; Feeding and Eating Disorders; Feeding Behavior; Female; females; Health Behavior; Humans; Medical nutrition therapy; Mental disorders; nutrition; Nutrition research; Orthorexia Nervosa; overweight; prognosis; Questionnaires; Regression analysis; Remission (Medicine); Rheumatoid arthritis; Surveys and Questionnaires; Greece; DAS28; disordered eating; pain; mental health; remission; weight loss; diet; eating disorders; rheumatic disease; obesity
• ISSN: 2072-6643; 2072-6643
• DOI: 10.3390/nu15030713

Medical nutrition therapy (MNT) is an indisputable component of the multidisciplinary therapeutic approach in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Previous research has suggested that in chronic disease where nutrition is an important effector of prognosis, healthy dietary choices might take an unhealthy turn, with patients developing disordered eating in the form of orthorexia nervosa (ON). ON is characterized by a pathological preoccupation with “healthy”, “pure” eating, associated with restrictive dietary patterns, nutrient deficiencies and worsening disease outcomes. The aim of the present cross-sectional study was to evaluate ON tendencies in a sample of adult patients with RA. A total of 133 patients with RA were recruited, and completed the ORTO-15 questionnaire for the assessment of ON tendencies. Most of the patients were overweight/obese (53.4%). The results revealed ON tendencies in the sample, with the median ORTO-15 score reaching 36 (IQR: 33–39). Greater ON tendencies were associated with the female gender, and lowered ON tendencies with increasing age and body mass index. The present findings highlight the need for health professional awareness regarding the problem of ON in patients with RA and the importance of screening patients.