Wachten Hanna, Wurst Ramona, Paganini Sarah, Strahler Jana
Sportpsychology, Department of Sport and Sport Science, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
Department of Psychotherapy and System Neuroscience, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany.
Front Nutr. 2024 Dec 3;11:1494958. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2024.1494958. eCollection 2024.
Orthorexia nervosa (OrNe), the obsessive fixation on healthy eating, and exercise addiction (ExAdd) have been discussed as correlated excessive health behaviors with potential mental health implications. The role of gender-and sports-specific differences remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the links of ExAdd, OrNe, and the non-pathological interest in healthy eating (healthy orthorexia; HeOr) with well-being and exercise activity in various sports, considering gender effects.
Data from two cross-sectional online surveys were combined ( = 1,064, 73.5% women, age = 28.23 ± 11.09), measuring ExAdd (Exercise Addiction Inventory Revised), OrNe and HeOr (Teruel Orthorexia Scale), well-being (WHO-5 Well-Being Index), exercise activity and sports (Physical Activity, Exercise, and Sport Questionnaire).
Well-being correlated with OrNe among women ( = -0.291) and not meaningfully with ExAdd and HeOr among men. Gender differences were not significant, except for the higher correlation of ExAdd with exercise activity in resistance and fitness sports among men. Regression analyses revealed that exercise activity, especially in health, resistance and fitness sports, was linked to HeOr, but not to OrNe. ExAdd was associated with exercise activity in endurance, resistance and fitness, ball and team, antigravitation, technical, aesthetic sports, and martial arts.
Men's well-being may slightly benefit from ExAdd and an interest in healthy eating, while obsessive healthy eating may reduce women's well-being. Although exercise activity is associated with ExAdd in a wide variety of sports, it does not explain the link between ExAdd and OrNe. Preventive measures should consider gender-specific risks in excessive health behaviors.
神经性正食症（OrNe），即对健康饮食的强迫性执着，以及运动成瘾（ExAdd），已被视为相关的过度健康行为，可能对心理健康产生影响。性别和运动特定差异的作用尚不清楚。本研究旨在探讨运动成瘾、神经性正食症以及对健康饮食的非病理性兴趣（健康正食症；HeOr）与幸福感以及各类运动中的运动活动之间的联系，并考虑性别影响。
合并了两项横断面在线调查的数据（n = 1064，73.5%为女性，年龄 = 28.23 ± 11.09），测量运动成瘾（修订版运动成瘾量表）、神经性正食症和健康正食症（特鲁埃尔正食症量表）、幸福感（世界卫生组织-5幸福感指数）、运动活动和运动项目（身体活动、锻炼和运动问卷）。
幸福感在女性中与神经性正食症相关（r = -0.291），在男性中与运动成瘾和健康正食症无显著相关。除了男性中运动成瘾与力量和健身运动中的运动活动相关性更高外，性别差异不显著。回归分析显示，运动活动，尤其是在健康、力量和健身运动中，与健康正食症相关，但与神经性正食症无关。运动成瘾与耐力、力量和健身、球类和团队、反重力、技术、美学运动以及武术中的运动活动相关。
男性的幸福感可能会因运动成瘾和对健康饮食的兴趣而略有受益，而强迫性的健康饮食可能会降低女性的幸福感。尽管运动活动在多种运动中与运动成瘾相关，但它并不能解释运动成瘾与神经性正食症之间的联系。预防措施应考虑过度健康行为中的性别特定风险。
