Are Elite Female Soccer Athletes at Risk for Disordered Eating Attitudes, Menstrual Dysfunction, and Stress Fractures?

Prather, Heidi; Hunt, Devyani; McKeon, Kathryn; Simpson, Scott; Meyer, E. Blair; Yemm, Ted; Brophy, Robert H.

doi:10.1016/j.pmrj.2015.07.003

Cited by 48 publications

(42 citation statements)

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“…In a study with similar methods to ours, in terms of screening tools used, Izquierdo et al [26] reported similar rates of DE risk to the present study, finding that ~ 11% of male and female soccer players were at risk or were suffering from DE. In the only other study, to our knowledge, to assess the prevalence of DE risk in elite level soccer players, none of the 36 professional female soccer players taking part scored higher than the clinical cut-off of 20 on the EAT-26 [7]. By comparison, 8/70 of the female soccer players and 25/137 of the male soccer players reported scores ≥ 20 in the present study, which explains why the average EAT-26 scores in our study is much higher compared to their study (~ 10 vs. 3).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 77%

“…This is in contrast to the findings of Sundgot-Borgen [8], who found that the proportion of female soccer players with eating disorders was similar to a non-athlete control sample (24% vs. 23% of the cohort). Other studies in elite soccer players did not include a control group for comparison [7,26]. However, studies in other sports have also found DE risk to be similar or greater in female non-athletes than athletes [20,27].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The EAT-26 assesses DE and served as our primary outcome measure. This questionnaire was specifically chosen because it has been shown to be valid and reliable in a variety of populations and has been used in several previous studies with athletes, allowing comparisons [4,6,7]. It has also been suggested that self-report measures such as the EAT-26 are useful screening tools in non-leanness focused sports such as soccer [3].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Over the past 2 decades, a number of studies have emerged suggesting disordered eating (DE) which is more prevalent in athletes than non-athletes [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8]. The specific reasons are not entirely clear, but a number of studies suggest that the The article is part of the Topical Collection on Males and eating and weight disorders.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The prevalence of disordered eating in elite male and female soccer players

Abbott¹,

Brett²,

Brownlee

et al. 2020

Eat Weight Disord

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Purpose To examine the prevalence of disordered eating (DE) in elite male and female soccer players and the influence of perfectionism. Methods Using a cross-sectional design, elite male (n = 137) and female (n = 70) soccer players and non-athlete controls (n = 179) completed the clinical perfectionism questionnaire (CPQ-12) and the eating attitudes test (EAT-26) to assess perfectionism and DE risk, respectively. Results Male soccer players had higher EAT-26 scores than controls (10.4 ± 9.9 vs. 6.8 ± 6.7; P = 0.001), but there were no differences in the prevalence of clinical levels of DE (EAT-26 score ≥ 20) (15 vs. 5%, respectively; X 2 = 0.079) The proportion of females with DE risk was higher in controls [EAT-26: 13.9 ± 11.6 (25% of population)] than female players [EAT-26: 10.0 ± 9.0% (11% of population)] (X 2 = 0.001). With linear regression, perfectionism explained 20% of the variation in DE risk in males (P = 0.001); in females, athletic status (player vs. control) and perfectionism were significant predictors of DE risk, explaining 21% of the variation (P = 0.001). Male reserve team players had higher EAT-26 (+ 3.5) and perfectionism (+ 2.7) scores than first-team players (P < 0.05). There were no differences in the prevalence of DE risk between the male and female soccer players (X 2 = 0.595). Conclusions The prevalence of DE risk was not different in elite male and female soccer players; in fact, the prevalence was greatest in non-athlete female controls. Perfectionism is a significant predictor of DE risk in males and females. Level of evidence III, case-control study.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 77%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The prevalence of disordered eating in elite male and female soccer players

Abbott¹,

Brett²,

Brownlee

et al. 2020

Eat Weight Disord

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“…Elite youth athletes may be at-risk for poor nutrition and eating disorders 87. The German Young Olympic Athletes’ Lifestyle and Health Management Study collected data in 1,138 elite youth athletes with regard to eating disorders.…”

Section: Physical/physiological Risks For Injury In Elite Youth Athletesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The elite young athlete: strategies to ensure physical and emotional health

Sabato¹,

Walch²,

Caine³

2016

OAJSM

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This article presents a current review of the risk of physical and psychological injury associated with participation in elite youth sport, and suggests strategies to ensure the physical and emotional health of these young athletes. Although there is lack of epidemiological data, especially with regard to psychological injury, preliminary data suggest that the risk of injury is high in this population. While there is lack of incident and follow-up data, there is also concern regarding burnout, disordered eating, and the long-term consequences of injury. Modifiable injury risk factors identified include postural control, competition anxiety, life events, previous injury, and volume of training. There are presently no studies designed to determine the effectiveness of injury prevention measures in elite youth sports. However, there is adequate evidence arising from injury prevention studies of youth sports participants – including neuromuscular training, protective equipment, mental training to enhance self-esteem, and sport rules modification – to prevent injuries in elite youth sports settings. Although not tested, psychosocial prevention strategies such as adoption of task-oriented coping mechanisms, autonomous support from parents, and a proactive organizational approach also show promise in injury prevention.

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