ASSOCIATION BETWEEN ORTHOREXIA NERVOSA AND SOCIAL JET LAG WITH THE NUTRITIONAL STATUS OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

Abstract

Introduction: The scientific literature indicates a high prevalence of nutritional and metabolic issues among undergraduate students, including obesity. These students are often exposed to factors that contribute to weight gain. Objective: To associate eating behaviors with a tendency towards orthorexia nervosa and the influence of circadian misalignment on the nutritional status of university students. Methodology: This is a cross-sectional study involving students from Centro Universitário UNA. Data collection was conducted both digitally and in person. Participants completed questionnaires to assess orthorexia nervosa (ON) and surveys about their sleep and wake times to calculate social jet lag (JLS). JLS was calculated as the absolute difference between the midpoint of sleep on free days/weekends and the midpoint of sleep on workdays/week. The body mass index (BMI) was assessed based on self-reported weight and height. Nutritional status was classified using the BMI. Results: A total of 113 students participated in the study, with a mean age of 24.42 years (SD ± 7.59), of whom 78.8% (n=89) were female. The average BMI was 23.77 kg/m² (SD ± 4.90), with 57.5% classified as eutrophic, 26.5% as overweight, and 8.9% as obese. A total of 71.7% showed a tendency towards ON. There was an association between JLS and excess weight (p= 0.017). Conclusion: The results of this study demonstrate the need and importance of observing the possible influences of JLS on the nutritional status of university students, with the aim of establishing effective strategies for recovery, prevention, and health promotion within this population.