Open Access

ARTICLE

Orthorexia Nervosa Risk, Body Image Perception, and Associated Predictors Among Adolescent Football Players from Poland and Türkiye

Wiktoria Staśkiewicz-Bartecka^1,*, Samet Aktaş², Grzegorz Zydek³, Marek Kardas¹, Oskar Kowalski⁴

1 Department of Food Technology and Quality Evaluation, Faculty of Public Health in Bytom, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Zabrze, 41-808, Poland
2 Department of Training Education, Faculty of Sports Science, Batman University, Batman, 72000, Türkiye
3 Department of Sport Nutrition, Jerzy Kukuczka Academy of Physical Education in Katowice, Katowice, 40-065, Poland
4 Department of Dietetics and Human Nutrition, Department of Dietetics, Faculty of Public Health in Bytom, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Zabrze, 41-808, Poland

* Corresponding Author: Wiktoria Staśkiewicz-Bartecka. Email:

(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Healthy Lifestyle Behaviours and Mental Health in Children and Adolescents)

International Journal of Mental Health Promotion 2025, 27(5), 649-665. https://doi.org/10.32604/ijmhp.2025.064543

Received 18 February 2025; Accepted 30 April 2025; Issue published 05 June 2025

Abstract

Background: In light of growing concern over eating disorders among young athletes amid cultural and social pressures, this study aimed to assess the prevalence of orthorexia nervosa (ON) risk and evaluate body image perception and its predictive factors among young football players from Poland and Türkiye. Methods: The study involved 171 players aged 15–18 years, recruited from football academies in Poland and Türkiye. The Polish and Turkish versions of the Body-Esteem Scale for Adolescents and Adults (BESAA) were administered to assess body image perception, while the Düsseldorf Orthorexia Scale (DOS) was used to measure ON risk. Anthropometric measurements were taken to calculate Body Mass Index (BMI), which was then referenced to centile charts to determine nutritional status. Results: Results indicated that 13% of participants exhibited characteristics of ON, with an additional 26% classified as at elevated risk. Comparative analysis revealed no significant differences in ON prevalence between Polish and Turkish players (p = 0.938) and no age-related differences (p = 0.694). Among Polish players, a significant positive association emerged between BMI (relative to centile charts) and overall appearance evaluation (BE-Appearance) (p = 0.008, partial η² = 0.10). This relationship was not observed in Turkish players. Moreover, analysis of ON risk predictors—including age, nationality, nutritional status, and body image—did not identify any single variable as a definitive predictor (all p-values > 0.05), with a low predictive capacity (McFadden’s R² = 0.03). Conclusion: The study revealed a significant risk of ON among young footballers with no clear predictors.

---

Keywords

---