Risk of Disordered Eating Among Division I Female College Athletes - PubMed (original) (raw)

. 2015 Jul 15;8(3):256-264.

doi: 10.70252/RAQK3996. eCollection 2015.

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Risk of Disordered Eating Among Division I Female College Athletes

Elizabeth K Wells et al. Int J Exerc Sci. 2015.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess the risk of disordered eating (DE) among female athletes in lean and non-lean sports using the ATHLETE survey. The ATHLETE survey is divided into six different constructs, and a high score indicates a high risk for DE. Eighty-three varsity female athletes from eight Campbell University sports teams completed the survey and a medical history form anonymously. The sports were divided into sports that traditionally have a high risk for DE (lean sports) and those with a low risk (non-lean sports). The lean sports included: cheerleading, cross country/track and field, swimming, and volleyball. The non-lean sports included: basketball, golf, soccer, and softball. The total mean score of the ATHLETE survey for the lean sports was 100.1 ± 17.4, compared to the non-lean sports scoring 90.1 ± 16.9, p = 0.011. The two constructs that showed significant difference between lean and non-lean sports were Social Pressure on Body Shape (lean: 12.2 ± 3.9, non-lean: 9.4 ± 4.6, p = 0.005) and Team Trust (lean: 7.4 ± 3.3, non-lean: 5.6 ± 2.2, p = 0.004). The results indicate that lean sports exhibited a higher risk for development of DE compared to athletes participating in non-lean sports. It appears that the primary influence of DE in these female athletes came from external social pressures that may therefore dictate their exercise and nutritional habits.

Keywords: Eating disorders; anorexia nervosa; bulimia nervosa.

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Figures

Figure 1

Figure 1

Means ± standard deviation of scores between lean and non-lean sports for each of the six constructs that make up the ATHLETE survey. Maximum score for each construct is in parentheses. A higher score in the construct indicates an increased risk of DE. *Indicates a significant difference between lean and non-lean sports (p < 0.05).

Figure 2

Figure 2

Percentages of affirmations for lean and non-lean athletes for five questions from the medical history questionnaire.

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