Healthy orthorexia vs. orthorexia nervosa: Italian validation of the Teruel Orthorexia Scale (TOS).

PURPOSE: Orthorexia nervosa (OrNe) is a potentially pathological condition characterized by a fixation on healthy diet. An increasing number of studies have been conducted on this mental preoccupation, but the validity and reliability of some of the psychometric instruments employed in its assessment are still under debate. Among these measures, the Teruel Orthorexia Scale (TOS) seems to be promising, given that it allows to differentiate between OrNe and other non-problematic forms of interest with healthy eating, named as healthy orthorexia (HeOr). The aim of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of an Italian version of the TOS, by testing its factorial structure, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and validity. METHOD: Through an online survey, we recruited 782 participants from different regions of Italy, asking them to complete the following self-report instruments: TOS, EHQ, EDI-3, OCI-R, and BSI-18. From the initial sample, 144 participants agreed to complete a second TOS administration 2 weeks later. RESULTS: Data confirmed the validity of the 2-correlated factors structure of the TOS. The questionnaire also showed good reliability, both in terms of internal consistency and temporal stability. With regard to the TOS validity, results showed that OrNe was significantly and positively associated with measures of psychopathology and psychological distress, while HeOr showed no correlations or negative associations with the above-mentioned measures. CONCLUSION: Based on these results, the TOS can be considered a promising measure for the assessment of both pathological and non-problematic forms of orthorexic eating behavior also in Italian population. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level V, descriptive cross-sectional study.

Orthorexic eating behaviors are not all pathological: a French validation of the Teruel Orthorexia Scale (TOS).

As no French validated measurement tool distinguishing healthy orthorexia (HeOr) from orthorexia nervosa (OrNe) currently exists, this study aimed at examining psychometric properties of the French version of the Teruel Orthorexia Scale (TOS). A sample of 799 participants (Mean [SD] age: 28.5 [12.1] years-old) completed the French versions of the TOS, the Düsseldorfer Orthorexia Skala, the Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire, and the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised. Confirmatory factor analysis and exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM) were used. Although the bidimensional model, with OrNe and HeOr, of the original 17-item version showed an adequate fit, we suggest excluding items 9 and 15. The bidimensional model for the shortened version provided a satisfactory fit (ESEM model: CFI = .963, TLI = .949, RMSEA = .068). The mean loading was .65 for HeOr and .70 for OrNe. The internal consistency of both dimensions was adequate (αHeOr = .83 and αOrNe = .81). Partial correlations showed that eating disorders and obsessive-compulsive symptomatology measures were positively related to OrNe and unrelated or negatively related to HeOr. The scores from the 15-item French version of the TOS in the current sample appears to present an adequate internal consistency, pattern of associations in line with what was theoretically expected, and promising for differentiating both types of orthorexia in a French population. We discuss why both dimensions of orthorexia should be considered in this area of research.

Orthorexia ('right appetite', from the Greek) covers two dimensions: (1) orthorexia nervosa (OrNe), a strong preoccupation with healthy diet with negative emotional, cognitive, and/or social consequences while trying to approach this goal and when the eating behavior deviates from it, and (2) healthy orthorexia (HeOr), which can be defined as a healthy interest in diet, (self-assessed) healthy behavior with regard to diet and eating healthily as part of one's identity. OrNe is not yet indexed into mental disorder classifications. Some prominent measurement tools in the area of orthorexia present important limitations: it is unclear if they validly assess OrNe and they do not tap HeOr by design. To overcome these limitations, a promising self-reported instrument was developed: the Teruel Orthorexia Scale (TOS), a bidimensional questionnaire whose structure has been replicated in different samples. Our research based on 799 participants aimed to adapt this instrument in a French speaking population. The results revealed that the French version of the TOS is an empirically supported tool allowing to differentiate both forms of orthorexia (healthy and nervosa). It also suggests that OrNe is associated with psychopathological symptoms while opposite patterns were found with HeOr. We discuss the importance of measuring both orthorexia dimensions.

A silent burden: How negative experiences with public toilets impact quality of life and life satisfaction.

Public toilets are a critical public health issue with a significant negative impact on people's lives. Unfortunately, the effect of negative experiences caused by public toilets on people's quality of life and life satisfaction is unknown. In this study, participants (n = 550) were asked to fill in a scale-based survey about their negative experiences with public toilets, quality of life, and life satisfaction. We found that people with toilet-dependent illnesses (36% of the sample) reported more negative experiences with public toilets than their counterparts. These negative experiences are also related to lower scores in some areas of participants' quality of life, such as their environmental, psychological, and physical health and life satisfaction, even after controlling for relevant socio-economic variables. Additionally, toilet-dependent individuals had particularly negative experiences in terms of life satisfaction and physical health than non-toilet-dependent people. We conclude that the impoverishment of quality of life linked to public toilets as an environmental inadequacy is traceable, estimable, and meaningful. This association is not only negative for ordinary people, but it is significantly negative for people with toilet-dependent illnesses. These results highlight that public toilets are essential to ensure collective well-being, particularly when considering those affected by their presence or lack thereof.

Negative experiences with public bathrooms and chronic illness-related shame.

INTRODUCTION: The use of public bathrooms is a challenge for everyone, but especially for those who are affected by a bathroom-dependent condition. Being dependent on bathrooms is linked with different negative emotions. One of them is a clinically relevant emotion: shame associated with the chronic condition. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In a cross-sectional survey study (n = 193) of people who suffer a bathroom-dependent condition we asked about health conditions, well-being, and shame related to chronic condition outcomes. RESULTS: We show a link between negative public bathroom experiences, and diminished well-being and feelings of shame related to chronic illness. We found that this relationship between negative experiences with public bathrooms and shame is not specific to the different conditions. CONCLUSION: We conclude that the negative experiences which people with different gastrointestinal illnesses face is an environmental stressor associated with more embarrassment as a result of the condition suffered.

Personality and Mating Orientations in Monogamy and Consensual Non-Monogamy in Young Spanish University Students.

Consensual non-monogamy (CNM) is a non-normative relationship that can generally be defined as relationships in which the involved individuals have openly agreed that they can have other sexual and/or affective partners. Despite growing interest in CNM, little research has been conducted regarding characteristics of the involved individuals, as well as comparing CNM individuals and monogamous individuals' characteristics. Expanding this research is important, as CNM constitutes a sizeable minority group, and CNM individuals and relationships are subject to stigma and dehumanization. The present study compared CNM and monogamous individuals in terms of personality (including "dark" personality) and mating orientations (sociosexuality and long-term mating) in young Spanish university students. Main results indicated that CNM individuals did not differ much in personality nor were they prone to higher "dark" personality traits when compared to monogamous individuals. Regarding mating orientations, CNM individuals were prone to higher sociosexuality levels and lower levels of long-term mating. Interestingly, results showed positive correlations between sociosexuality and "dark" personality in monogamous individuals, but not in CNM individuals. In conclusion, young Spanish university CNM individuals seem to be more pro-sex than monogamous people and less committed to the romantic love narrative of long-term mating, but these individuals were not more untrustworthy, self-centered, ruthless, or malevolent. Results were also discussed regarding their implications in the stigma and dehumanization of CNM people.

A consensus document on definition and diagnostic criteria for orthorexia nervosa.

PURPOSE: Since the term orthorexia nervosa (ON) was coined from the Greek (ὀρθός, right and ὄρεξις, appetite) in 1997 to describe an obsession with "correct" eating, it has been used worldwide without a consistent definition. Although multiple authors have proposed diagnostic criteria, and many theoretical papers have been published, no consensus definition of ON exists, empirical primary evidence is limited, and ON is not a standardized diagnosis. These gaps prevent research to identify risk and protective factors, pathophysiology, functional consequences, and evidence-based therapeutic treatments. The aims of the current study are to categorize the common observations and presentations of ON pathology among experts in the eating disorder field, propose tentative diagnostic criteria, and consider which DSM chapter and category would be most appropriate for ON should it be included. METHODS: 47 eating disorder researchers and multidisciplinary treatment specialists from 14 different countries across four continents completed a three-phase modified Delphi process, with 75% agreement determined as the threshold for a statement to be included in the final consensus document. In phase I, participants were asked via online survey to agree or disagree with 67 statements about ON in four categories: A-Definition, Clinical Aspects, Duration; B-Consequences; C-Onset; D-Exclusion Criteria, and comment on their rationale. Responses were used to modify the statements which were then provided to the same participants for phase II, a second round of feedback, again in online survey form. Responses to phase II were used to modify and improve the statements for phase III, in which statements that met the predetermined 75% of agreement threshold were provided for review and commentary by all participants. RESULTS: 27 statements met or exceeded the consensus threshold and were compiled into proposed diagnostic criteria for ON. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first time a standardized definition of ON has been developed from a worldwide, multidisciplinary cohort of experts. It represents a summary of observations, clinical expertise, and research findings from a wide base of knowledge. It may be used as a base for diagnosis, treatment protocols, and further research to answer the open questions that remain, particularly the functional consequences of ON and how it might be prevented or identified and intervened upon in its early stages. Although the participants encompass many countries and disciplines, further research will be needed to determine if these diagnostic criteria are applicable to the experience of ON in geographic areas not represented in the current expert panel. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level V: opinions of expert committees.

Psychometric properties of the Teruel Orthorexia Scale (TOS) among a French-Canadian adult sample.

BACKGROUND: Psychometric properties of the Teruel Orthorexia Scale (TOS) have been examined in several languages (Arabic, English, Portuguese, Spanish, and Turkish), but not in French. PURPOSE: The objective was to examine the psychometric properties of the TOS among a French-Canadian adult sample. METHODS: Participants were 296 French-speaking Canadian adults (M = 34.2 years, SD = 11.9, 85.1% women). They completed the TOS alongside with several other measures (e.g., alcoholic consumption, cigarette smoking, disturbed eating attitudes and behaviors, frequency of physical activities, intuitive eating, vegetarian diet, and negative affect). RESULTS: The results supported the a priori two-factor representation (orthorexia nervosa and healthy orthorexia) of the French version of the TOS and provided further support for the superiority of an exploratory structural equation modeling approach, relative to a confirmatory factor analytic approach. Furthermore, the results supported no differential item functioning as a function of respondents' characteristics (age, body mass index, diagnosis of eating disorders, frequency of physical activities, gender, and vegetarian diet). Latent mean differences were found in healthy orthorexia and orthorexia nervosa factors as a function of respondents' characteristics. Finally, significant correlations were found between TOS factors and convergent measures (alcohol consumption, cigarette smoking, disturbed eating attitudes and behaviors, intuitive eating, and negative affect). CONCLUSION: The present study confirmed that the French version of the TOS has satisfactory psychometric properties (i.e., factor validity and reliability, no differential item functioning, and convergent validity). LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: V, cross-sectional study.

Exploring COVID-19 research credibility among Spanish scientists.

Amidst a worldwide vaccination campaign, trust in science plays a significant role when addressing the COVID-19 pandemic. Given current concerns regarding research standards, we were interested in how Spanish scholars perceived COVID-19 research and the extent to which questionable research practices and potentially problematic academic incentives are commonplace. We asked researchers to evaluate the expected quality of their COVID-19 projects and other peers' research and compared these assessments with those from scholars not involved in COVID-19 research. We investigated self-admitting and estimated rates of questionable research practices and attitudes towards current research status. Responses from 131 researchers suggested that COVID-19 evaluations followed partisan lines, with scholars being more pessimistic about others' colleagues' research than their own. Additionally,researchers not involved in COVID-19 projects were more negative than their participating peers. These differences were particularly notable for areas such as the expected theoretical foundations or overall quality of the research, among others. Most Spanish scholars expected questionable research practices and inadequate incentives to be widespread. In these two aspects, researchers tended to agree regardless of their involvement in COVID-19 research. We provide specific recommendations for improving future meta-science studies, such as redefining QRPs as inadequate research practices (IRP). This change could help avoid key controversies regarding QRPs' definition while highlighting their detrimental impact. Lastly, we join previous calls to improve transparency and academic career incentives as a cornerstone for generating trust in science. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12144-022-02797-6.

Orthorexia nervosa vs. healthy orthorexia: relationships with disordered eating, eating behavior, and healthy lifestyle choices.

BACKGROUND: Orthorexia nervosa (OrNe) is a pattern of disordered eating behavior characterized by excessive preoccupation with overvalued ideas about healthy eating. Healthy orthorexia (HeOr) refers to a non-pathological interest in healthy eating and nutrition. Despite converging evidence that OrNe is correlated with measures of psychopathology and personality traits, there is relatively little empirical data relating OrNe and HeOr to eating and health-promoting behavior. METHODS: Aim 1: exploratory structural equation modeling was used to evaluate the factor structure of an English-language version of the Teruel Orthorexia Scale, the only measure of OrNe that also assesses HeOr in two samples (Yoga practitioners, N = 469, and Mechanical Turk workers, N = 453). Aim 2: conducted in the Mechanical Turk sample, partial correlation and linear regression analyses were used to evaluate the relationships of OrNe and HeOr with other symptoms of, and clinical impairment from, disordered eating, food choices, diet quality, body mass index (BMI), nutrition knowledge, alcohol/tobacco/vaping use, and sedentary behavior. RESULTS: The two-factor structure of the TOS was replicated. HeOr and OrNe had opposing relationships with measures of disordered eating behavior and distress, food choices, diet quality, and nutrition knowledge. HeOr was negatively related to BMI, whereas OrNe was positively related to substance use and sedentary behavior. CONCLUSIONS: OrNe and HeOr are distinct latent constructs, with the latter reflecting non-pathological behavior. Only OrNe is related to elevated disordered eating and clinical impairment. Despite involving obsessions and compulsions related to healthy eating, OrNe was associated with relatively unhealthy eating and other lifestyle behaviors. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level V, descriptive cross-sectional study.

Personality Profile in Orthorexia Nervosa and Healthy Orthorexia.

Little is known about orthorexia in both its pathological (orthorexia nervosa, OrNe) and adaptive (healthy orthorexia, HeOr) forms. To date, few studies have been carried out to analyze the personality profile associated with orthorexia, and the results have been contradictory. The aim of the present study was to explore the characteristic pathological personality traits associated with OrNe and HeOr. A total of 297 participants (M age = 30.8 years; 94.6% women) from the general population completed the Teruel Orthorexia Scale (TOS) and Personality Inventory for DSM-5-Short Form (PID-5-SF) questionnaires. Results showed significant low-medium correlations between OrNe and the four personality factors (Negative Affectivity, Detachment, Disinhibition, and Psychoticism) (rs range [0.08, 0.36]). In the regression analysis, the predictors of OrNe were Neuroticism and, to a lesser extent, Psychoticism. For HeOr, the associations were lower (rs range [-0.13, 0.05]) and negative, except Psychoticism. Only the relationship with Disinhibition was statistically significant, although after controlling for OrNe, Negative Affectivity and Antagonism also became significant. In the regression analysis, the predictors of HeOr were Disinhibition (negative direction) and Psychoticism (positive direction). The findings show that OrNe is associated with a pathological personality pattern characterized by difficulty in regulating emotions and negative affect (Negative Affectivity), as well as eccentricity, feeling special, and holding beliefs outside the norm (Psychoticism). However, HeOr seems to be related to the tendency toward high responsibility, self-control, the ability to maintain the focus of attention (low Disinhibition), and Psychoticism. Future studies should confirm whether this combination is a key component underlying the development and maintenance of orthorexia.

The relation of orthorexia with lifestyle habits: Arabic versions of the Eating Habits Questionnaire and the Dusseldorf Orthorexia Scale.

BACKGROUND: Some of the commonly used tools to assess orthorexia nervosa (OrNe) do not allow a meaningful interpretation of the scores or yield mixed results about the dimensions needed to represent orthorexia. Since no advancement in the theoretical knowledge can be made without a thorough examination of the measurement aspects, this study aimed to evaluate the correlation between orthorexia nervosa (OrNe) and lifestyle habits, notably alcohol drinking, cigarette and waterpipe smoking, and physical exercise, and to validate and assess the psychometric properties of the Arabic versions of the Eating Habits Questionnaire (EHQ) and Düsseldorf Orthorexia Scale (DOS). METHODS: A total of 456 adult participants completed a self-administered questionnaire. Exploratory structural equation models were used to test the internal structure of the instruments. Shorter and more explicit versions were proposed for instruments. Pearson and partial correlations were computed between orthorexia scores and healthy behaviors scores. RESULTS: Regarding the internal structure of both EHQ and DOS, evidence favored the bi-dimensional construct of orthorexia. Both tools presented two theoretically clearly interpretable factors (OrNe and Healthy Orthorexia-HeOr-). The two questionnaires presented a high convergent validity, as dimensions with the same interpretation were correlated around 0.80. While OrNe was positively correlated with the use of unhealthy substances (higher alcohol use disorder, cigarette, and waterpipe dependence), HeOr was negatively associated with these behaviors. CONCLUSION: Our results emphasize the idea that further attention should be paid to the multidimensional structure of orthorexia, as OrNe and HeOr present an opposite pattern of associations with healthy behaviors. An OrNe etiopathogenesis common to eating disorders can explain these differences.

The term "orthorexia nervosa" (OrNe) denotes a possible pathological fixation on a health-conscious diet. Some of the commonly used tools to assess orthorexia nervosa (OrNe) do not allow a meaningful interpretation of the scores or yield mixed results about the dimensions needed to represent orthorexia. In this study, some items were simultaneously tapping both dimensions of orthorexic tendencies, and shorter versions of the DOS and EHQ scales were proposed to offer instruments with a more explicit structure. The final versions still presented high reliabilities. While HeOr was negatively associated with the consumption of unhealthy substances (higher alcohol use disorder, cigarette, and waterpipe dependence), OrNe was positively correlated with these behaviors. After controlling for OrNe or HeOr (partial correlations), the associations were even higher; the pattern of associations was more explicit, showing the importance of considering the multidimensional structure of orthorexia.

Motives to Have Sex: Measurement and Correlates With Sociodemographic, Sexual Life, and Psychosexual Characteristics.

Knowledge of diverse sexual motivations can have profound implications for our comprehension of the causes, correlations, and consequences of sexual behavior. This study had two objectives: on the one hand, to determine the different motives why young Spanish university students have sex and their relationship with different sociodemographic and psychosexual variables and sexual behavior; on the other hand, to review and improve the psychometric properties of the Sexual Motivations Scale and validate it in Spanish. Participants were 805 university students of both sexes (78% women, 74% heterosexuals), aged between 18 and 26 years (M age = 20.88), who completed a battery of online questionnaires. Significant associations were found between young people's sexual motives, especially the motives of coping, peer pressure, and enhancement, the sociodemographic variables (sex, age sexual orientation, relational status), sexual behavior (age of initiation), and psychosexual variables (sociosexuality, self-esteem as a sexual partner, satisfaction with sex life). Also, a new structure of the Sexual Motivations Scale was proposed, with the elimination of the factor of Self-Affirmation. The discussion highlights the relevance of the results obtained due to their implications in the promotion of sexual health, in addition to achieving the first instrument validated in Spanish for the evaluation of sexual motivations.

Profiling Children Sexual Abuse in a Sample of University Students: A Study on Characteristic of Victims, Abusers, and Abuse Episodes.

Because of its prevalence and its potential negative consequences, child sexual abuse (CSA) is a public health problem in every country in the world. Knowledge of the characteristics of abuse episodes (victim, abuser, relationship between them, type of sexual contact, duration, threat and/or use of force) is essential to specify the contents of intervention programs for the detection and reduction of the negative consequences of CSA. Starting with an initial sample of 1605 university students of both sexes (70.9% women, 29.1% men), aged between 18 and 26 years (M = 21.1, SD = 2.2), 90 participants who had suffered an episode of CSA up to age 16 were selected (84.4% women, 15.6% men; Mage = 21.1, SD = 2.2). It was found that: (1) there was a higher prevalence of CSA among women and that the victims' average age when they suffered abuse was around 11 years; (2) the abusers were mostly male, close to the victims, and with an average of slightly less than 30 years; and (3) there was a significant proportion (25.6%) of CSA cases with penetration and in which force was used or threatened. These results are relevant, as they show that there is still a noteworthy prevalence of CSA cases on university campuses that needs to be addressed. Knowing the characteristics of these episodes is critical to implementing more effective interventions.

Do young dating app users and non-users differ in mating orientations?

In recent years, dating apps have changed the way people meet and communicate with potential romantic and/or sexual partners. There exists a stereotype considering that these apps are used only for casual sex, so those apps would not be an adequate resource to find a long-term relationship. The objective of this study was to analyze possible individual differences in the mating orientations (short-term vs. long-term) between users and non-users of dating apps. Participants were 902 single students from a mid-size Spanish university, of both sexes (63% female, and 37% male), aged between 18 and 26 years (M = 20.34, SD = 2.05), who completed a battery of online questionnaires. It was found that, whereas dating apps users had a higher short-term mating orientation than non-users (more frequent behavior, higher desire, and more positive attitude), there were no differences in the long-term orientation as a function of use/non-use. Considering this, dating apps are a resource with a strong presence of people interested on hooking-up while, simultaneously, not a bad (nor good) option for finding long-term love.

Tinder Users: Sociodemographic, Psychological, and Psychosexual Characteristics.

Tinder is the most popular and most used dating app in the world today. Due to the recent popularization of the phenomenon of dating apps, there are still some gaps in the literature. Therefore, this study had a threefold objective: (1) to determine the prevalence and characteristics of Tinder users and Tinder use among young university students; (2) to know why these young people use Tinder; and (3) to analyze the relationship between Tinder use and different psychosocial correlates (positive and negative affect, body satisfaction, sociosexuality, and attitudes towards consensual nonmonogamy) and psychosexual well-being (self-esteem as a sexual partner, satisfaction with sex life, and preoccupation with sex). Participants were 1261 Spanish university students (77.4% women, 77.5% heterosexuals) between ages 18 and 26 (M = 20.59, SD = 2.04) who completed a battery of online questionnaires. A prevalence of Tinder use of about 15% was found. The motives for use most frequently reported by the participants were those of curiosity, passing time/entertainment, and sexual orientation. Besides, Tinder users showed greater sociosexuality than nonusers, as well as increased dissatisfaction with their sex life and sexual preoccupation, and more positive attitudes towards consensual nonmonogamy. Importantly, no or very small differences were found in the general emotional well-being-related variables. Tinder seems like just another tool used by young people for their romantic and/or sexual interactions, without any negative connotation.

The Development of a Public Bathroom Perception Scale.

Public bathrooms are sensible locations in which individuals confront an intimate environment outside the comfort of their own home. The assessment of public bathrooms is especially problematic for people whose illnesses make them more prone to needing this service. Unfortunately, there is a lack in the evaluation of the elements that are relevant to the user's perspective. For that reason, we propose a new scale to assess these elements of evaluation of public bathrooms. We developed a scale of 14 items and three domains: privacy, ease of use and cleanliness. We tested the factor validity of this three-factor solution (n = 654) on a sample of healthy individuals and 155 respondents with a bowel illness or other affection that reported to be bathroom-dependent. We found that bathroom-dependent people value more privacy and cleanliness more than their healthy counterparts. We additionally found a gender effect on the scale: female participants scored higher in every domain. This study provides the first scale to assess value concerning public bathrooms and to highlight the relevance of different bathrooms' aspects to users.

Dating Apps and Their Sociodemographic and Psychosocial Correlates: A Systematic Review.

The emergence and popularization of dating apps have changed the way people meet and interact with potential romantic and sexual partners. In parallel with the increased use of these applications, a remarkable scientific literature has developed. However, due to the recency of the phenomenon, some gaps in the existing research can be expected. Therefore, the objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review of the empirical research of the psychosocial content published in the last five years (2016-2020) on dating apps. A search was conducted in different databases, and we identified 502 articles in our initial search. After screening titles and abstracts and examining articles in detail, 70 studies were included in the review. The most relevant data (author/s and year, sample size and characteristics, methodology) and their findings were extracted from each study and grouped into four blocks: user dating apps characteristics, usage characteristics, motives for use, and benefits and risks of use. The limitations of the literature consulted are discussed, as well as the practical implications of the results obtained, highlighting the relevance of dating apps, which have become a tool widely used by millions of people around the world.

Profiling Dating Apps Users: Sociodemographic and Personality Characteristics.

The development of new technologies, the expansion of the Internet, and the emergence of dating apps (e.g., Tinder, Grindr) in recent years have changed the way to meet and approach potential romantic and/or sexual partners. The recent phenomenon has led to some gaps in the literature on individual differences (sociodemographic variables and personality traits) between users (previous and current users) and non-users of dating apps. Thus, the aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between using dating apps, sociodemographics (gender, age, sexual orientation, and relationship status), and bright and dark personality traits. Participants were 1705 university students (70% women, 30% men), aged between 18 and 26 (M = 20.60, SD = 2.09), who completed several online questionnaires. Through multinomial logistic regression analyses, it was found that men, older youth, and members of sexual minorities were more likely to be current and previous dating apps users. Being single and higher scores in open-mindedness were associated with higher probability to be current dating apps user. The dark personality showed no predictive ability. The discussion highlights the usefulness of knowing and considering the sociodemographic background and the characteristics of personality patterns in the design and implementation of preventive and promotion programs of healthy romantic and sexual relationships to improve people's better health and well-being.