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Brain Sciences
Volume 15
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10.3390/brainsci15050503
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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

The Mediating Role of Social Camouflaging on theRelationship Between Autistic Traits and Orthorexic Symptoms

by
Barbara Carpita
,
Benedetta Nardi
*,
Cristiana Pronestì
,
Gianluca Cerofolini
,
Matilde Filidei
,
Chiara Bonelli
,
Gabriele Massimetti
,
Ivan Mirko Cremone
,
Stefano Pini
and
Liliana Dell’Osso
Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Brain Sci. 2025, 15(5), 503; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci15050503
Submission received: 1 April 2025 / Revised: 1 May 2025 / Accepted: 13 May 2025 / Published: 14 May 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Clinical Diagnosis, Evaluation, and Treatment of Psychosis)
Versions Notes

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Recent lifestyle and dietary changes, driven by health awareness and ecological concerns, have led to the rise in numerous type of diets, which can promote well-being but may also contribute to Orthorexia Nervosa (ON), which have been suggested to be linked to autism spectrum disorder. This study aimed to explore the relationship between autistic traits, social camouflaging, and orthorexic tendencies in female university students, focusing on how these factors intersect with specific dietary habits. Methods: 554 female students were recruited via an online survey and assessed with the Adult Autism Subthreshold (AdAS) Spectrum, the Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire (CAT-Q), and the ORTO-R. Participants were categorized into four groups based on AdAS Spectrum and CAT-Q quartiles. Results: Vegans and vegetarians exhibited higher orthorexic tendencies and specific autistic traits. High scorers on the AdAS Spectrum and CAT-Q also showed higher ORTO-R scores, with both AdAS Spectrum and CAT-Q total scores, as well as certain domains, serving as significant positive predictors of higher ORTO-R scores. Notably, the AdAS Spectrum total score had a significant direct and indirect effect (through the CAT-Q) on the ORTO-R total score. Conclusions: The study found significant associations between autistic traits, social camouflaging behaviors, and orthorexic tendencies in female university students. These findings suggest that the strict dietary behaviors and rigid thinking characteristic of orthorexia may be influenced by underlying autistic features, highlighting the need for further research into the intersection of autism and eating disorders.
Keywords: camouflaging; autistic traits; orthorexia; orthorexia nervosa; eating disorder camouflaging; autistic traits; orthorexia; orthorexia nervosa; eating disorder

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MDPI and ACS Style

Carpita, B.; Nardi, B.; Pronestì, C.; Cerofolini, G.; Filidei, M.; Bonelli, C.; Massimetti, G.; Cremone, I.M.; Pini, S.; Dell’Osso, L. The Mediating Role of Social Camouflaging on theRelationship Between Autistic Traits and Orthorexic Symptoms. Brain Sci. 2025, 15, 503. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci15050503

AMA Style

Carpita B, Nardi B, Pronestì C, Cerofolini G, Filidei M, Bonelli C, Massimetti G, Cremone IM, Pini S, Dell’Osso L. The Mediating Role of Social Camouflaging on theRelationship Between Autistic Traits and Orthorexic Symptoms. Brain Sciences. 2025; 15(5):503. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci15050503

Chicago/Turabian Style

Carpita, Barbara, Benedetta Nardi, Cristiana Pronestì, Gianluca Cerofolini, Matilde Filidei, Chiara Bonelli, Gabriele Massimetti, Ivan Mirko Cremone, Stefano Pini, and Liliana Dell’Osso. 2025. "The Mediating Role of Social Camouflaging on theRelationship Between Autistic Traits and Orthorexic Symptoms" Brain Sciences 15, no. 5: 503. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci15050503

APA Style

Carpita, B., Nardi, B., Pronestì, C., Cerofolini, G., Filidei, M., Bonelli, C., Massimetti, G., Cremone, I. M., Pini, S., & Dell’Osso, L. (2025). The Mediating Role of Social Camouflaging on theRelationship Between Autistic Traits and Orthorexic Symptoms. Brain Sciences, 15(5), 503. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci15050503

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