The growing recognition of orthorexia nervosa as a distinct eating disorder has created an urgent need for culturally validated assessment tools, particularly for adolescents who may be especially vulnerable to rigid dietary behaviors disguised as health consciousness. While adults can develop problematic relationships with 'clean eating,' teenagers face unique developmental pressures that can transform normal interest in nutrition into obsessive patterns that impair social functioning and psychological well-being.
Researchers validated the Turkish version of the Düsseldorf Orthorexia Scale among 209 clinically referred adolescents aged 12-18 years, finding robust psychometric properties that support its use in psychiatric settings. The scale demonstrated a clear single-factor structure through both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, with factor loadings ranging from 0.335 to 0.725 and high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.868). The validation process included comparisons with established eating disorder assessments and anxiety-depression measures to ensure the tool captures orthorexic tendencies distinct from other psychological conditions.
This validation represents a meaningful advancement in adolescent mental health assessment, as orthorexia nervosa occupies a complex position between eating disorders and obsessive-compulsive behaviors. The availability of culturally adapted screening tools enables earlier identification of teens whose pursuit of dietary perfection has crossed into pathological territory. However, the study's limitation to clinically referred adolescents means the scale's performance in general population screening remains unknown, and cross-cultural validation across different Turkish-speaking regions would strengthen its utility for broader clinical implementation.