The Polish version of the Düsseldorf Orthorexia Scale (PL-DOS) and its comparison with the English version of the DOS (E-DOS)

Abstract

Purpose Although orthorexia nervosa, the fixation on health-conscious eating behaviour, was first described in the 90 s, there is no clear understanding whether existing ON measures are appropriate for its assessment. The objectives of the present study were to: (1) examine the psychometric properties of the Polish version of the DOS (PL-DOS) and to compare the PL-DOS with the English version of the DOS (E-DOS) as well as (2) evaluate the prevalence of ON among Polish university students and compare the prevalence rates of ON among Polish and U.S. students. Methods Four-hundred and twelve students (77.2% female) with a mean age of 24.62 years (SD = 6.86) participated in the present study. All participants completed the Polish version of the Düsseldorf Orthorexia Scale (PL-DOS), the Eating Habits Questionnaire (EHQ) and the Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI). Results Reliability analysis for the PL-DOS showed strong internal consistency with a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.840 and a coefficient omega of 0.840, 95% CI [0.808, 0.866]. Significant correlation coefficients were found between the PL-DOS and all subscales of the EHQ. Confirmatory factor analysis showed that the one-factor model had poor fit. Polish students had an ON prevalence rate of 6.6%, lower than that of U.S. students (8%). Conclusions Our findings validate the use of the PL-DOS as an appropriate ON measure for a Polish population. Level of evidence Level V, cross-sectional descriptive study.

How Healthy Are Health-Related Behaviors in University Students: The HOLISTic Study

“…A previous study [ 49 ] has shown that eating-related variables (pathological eating, eating pattern, and MD), compulsive symptoms, and subjective social status were predictors of ON in adults. It is possible that university students who adopt a Mediterranean eating pattern are more likely to pay attention to healthy eating and are more concerned about food, avoiding all foodstuffs subjectively considered to be “unhealthy” [ 50 ]. This is a topic worthy of further exploration.…”

Identifying the Profile of Orthorexic Behavior and “Normal” Eating Behavior with Cluster Analysis: A Cross-Sectional Study among Polish Adults

“…In the current sample, Cronbach's alpha coefficient of the DOS was 0.84. In the present study, we used the Polish version of this questionnaire (PL-DOS) [37].…”

The Prevalence of Orthorexia Nervosa in Polish and Lebanese Adults and Its Relationship with Sociodemographic Variables and BMI Ranges: A Cross-Cultural Perspective

“…The DOS shows good internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.84) and good retest reliability ( r = 0.67 to 0.79, p = 0.001 between three reference dates) [ 39 ]. In the present study, the Polish version (PL-DOS) [ 15 ] and the Lebanese version of the DOS [ 41 ] were used (Cronbach’s α Poland = 0.834 and Cronbach’s α Lebanon = 0.896).…”

“…Numerous researchers have reported the prevalence of ON, with values varying considerably according to the measure used to evaluate the same construct (e.g., ORTO-15 test, the Düsseldorf Orthorexia Scale), the selected population (e.g., clinical versus non-clinical samples), and the nationality [ 13 ]. The prevalence of ON ranges from 1% in the general U.S. population [ 14 ] to much higher percentages, particularly among university students worldwide, e.g., 6.6% in a sample of Polish students [ 15 ], 8% in a sample of U.S. students [ 16 ], and 10.5% in a sample of Spanish students [ 13 ]. It has been suggested that the vast inconsistency was mainly due to the difference of instruments used, but not due to cultural differences [ 14 ].…”