ArticleEating and weight disorders : EWD2021
Low self-esteem predicts orthorexia nervosa, mediated by spiritual attitudes among frequent exercisers.
Article in Eating and weight disorders : EWD, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers.
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Who cites it
11 citing papers in PubMed, 23 citations in OpenAlex.
- Multidimensional body image and self-esteem: a latent profile analysis differentiating orthorexia nervosa and exercise addiction from disordered eating.BMC psychiatry · 2026Article
- Healthy Orthorexia and Orthorexia Nervosa Among Nurses in Qatar.Health science reports · 2026Article
- Exploring early maladaptive schemas in healthy eating and orthorexia nervosa tendencies: a structural equation modeling approach.Journal of eating disorders · 2026Article
- From health to harm: Cross-sectional analysis of factors associated with orthorexia nervosa.Neuroscience applied · 2026Article
- Problematic usage of the internet is associated with orthorexia nervosa tendency in adults.CNS spectrums · 2025Article
- Profiling orthorexia nervosa in young adults: the role of obsessive behaviour, perfectionism, and self-esteem.Journal of eating disorders · 2023Article
- "In-between orthorexia" profile: the co-occurrence of pathological and healthy orthorexia among male and female non-clinical adolescents.Journal of eating disorders · 2022Article
- Association between religiosity and orthorexia nervosa with the mediating role of self-esteem among a sample of the Lebanese population - short communication.Journal of eating disorders · 2022Article
- The relationship between orthorexia nervosa, anxiety, and self-esteem: a cross-sectional study in Turkish faculty members.BMC psychology · 2022Article
- Orthorexia Nervosa and Disordered Eating Attitudes, Self-Esteem and Physical Activity among Young Adults.Nutrients · 2022Article
- Orthorexia nervosa risk and associated factors among Chilean nutrition students: a pilot study.Journal of eating disorders · 2022Article
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Authors and funding
3 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveThe aim of this study was to measure how orthorexic tendencies relate to age, self-esteem, and spirituality. We conducted the study on a sample of Hungarian adults performing regular fitness activity.
method175 participants completed a four-part online survey: demographics and training habits, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, the Eating Habits Questionnaire-Revised (EHQ-R), and one of the Spiritual Awareness questionnaire's subscale. We performed univariate linear regression to assess the predictor role of age on orthorexic tendencies. Mediation analysis was conducted to determine the effect of self-esteem on orthorexic tendencies and the mediator role of spiritual attitudes.
resultsAge negatively correlated with EHQ-R, and there were no gender differences. Lower self-esteem was a predictor for orthorexic tendencies with the total effect of ß = -0.3046 (p < 0.0001). In part, this is a direct relationship, but it is mediated by spiritual awareness as well. DISCUSSION: Among frequent exercisers, strict dieting is likely to originate from a lack of self-esteem due to perfectionist standards, social comparison, and the aspiration of being in control. In case self-esteem is achieved through spiritual approaches, individuals may experience positive changes in their attitudes toward eating and their bodies as well. In the future, it is important to confirm whether the EHQ-R indicates diagnostic boundaries. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level V, descriptive cross-sectional study.
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