{"title":"Evaluating the prevalence of eating disorder risk and low energy availability risk in collegiate athletes.","authors":"Lauren J Puscheck, Julie Kennel, Catherine Saenz","doi":"10.1186/s40337-025-01218-w","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Eating disorders and low energy availability independently and negatively impact eating behaviors and attitudes and overall health. Screening provides early identification of athletes suffering from these conditions, yet few studies have evaluated both simultaneously, and none have investigated eating disorder and low energy availability in the context of sex or sport type. This study determined the prevalence of eating disorder and low energy availability risk in collegiate athletes at a large National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division 1 university and the variation of prevalence by sport, sport type, and sex.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This cross-sectional study of NCAA Division 1 athletes used a self-administered survey to collect demographic data and assessed risk using the Eating Disorder Screen for Athletes, Low Energy Availability in Females Questionnaire, and Low Energy Availability in Males Questionnaire. Variations in prevalence were assessed using chi-square tests and variations in mean screening tool scores were assessed using t-tests and ANOVA. Significance was set at p < 0.05.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Out of 220 athletes (76 males, 144 females) across 19 sports, 38.18% were at risk for an eating disorder and 47.17% were at risk for low energy availability, while 22.73% were at risk for both conditions. Females had a higher distribution of positive screens for an eating disorder (p = 0.002) and low energy availability (p < 0.001) than males. Aesthetic sport athletes had the highest proportion of eating disorder risk (p = 0.016)-but low energy availability (p = 0.871) did not vary by sport type. Dance team athletes had the highest prevalence of eating disorder risk by sport (p < 0.001), while women's gymnasts had the highest prevalence of low energy availability risk (p < 0.001) by sport.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>A high percentage of athletes were at risk for an eating disorder and low energy availability. Screening protocols can identify eating disorders and low energy availability earlier, leading to quicker treatment and prevention of severe consequences.</p>","PeriodicalId":48605,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Eating Disorders","volume":"13 1","pages":"53"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5000,"publicationDate":"2025-03-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11929264/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Eating Disorders","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-025-01218-w","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"NUTRITION & DIETETICS","Score":null,"Total":0}
Evaluating the prevalence of eating disorder risk and low energy availability risk in collegiate athletes.
Background: Eating disorders and low energy availability independently and negatively impact eating behaviors and attitudes and overall health. Screening provides early identification of athletes suffering from these conditions, yet few studies have evaluated both simultaneously, and none have investigated eating disorder and low energy availability in the context of sex or sport type. This study determined the prevalence of eating disorder and low energy availability risk in collegiate athletes at a large National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division 1 university and the variation of prevalence by sport, sport type, and sex.
Methods: This cross-sectional study of NCAA Division 1 athletes used a self-administered survey to collect demographic data and assessed risk using the Eating Disorder Screen for Athletes, Low Energy Availability in Females Questionnaire, and Low Energy Availability in Males Questionnaire. Variations in prevalence were assessed using chi-square tests and variations in mean screening tool scores were assessed using t-tests and ANOVA. Significance was set at p < 0.05.
Results: Out of 220 athletes (76 males, 144 females) across 19 sports, 38.18% were at risk for an eating disorder and 47.17% were at risk for low energy availability, while 22.73% were at risk for both conditions. Females had a higher distribution of positive screens for an eating disorder (p = 0.002) and low energy availability (p < 0.001) than males. Aesthetic sport athletes had the highest proportion of eating disorder risk (p = 0.016)-but low energy availability (p = 0.871) did not vary by sport type. Dance team athletes had the highest prevalence of eating disorder risk by sport (p < 0.001), while women's gymnasts had the highest prevalence of low energy availability risk (p < 0.001) by sport.
Conclusions: A high percentage of athletes were at risk for an eating disorder and low energy availability. Screening protocols can identify eating disorders and low energy availability earlier, leading to quicker treatment and prevention of severe consequences.
期刊介绍：
Journal of Eating Disorders is the first open access, peer-reviewed journal publishing leading research in the science and clinical practice of eating disorders. It disseminates research that provides answers to the important issues and key challenges in the field of eating disorders and to facilitate translation of evidence into practice.
The journal publishes research on all aspects of eating disorders namely their epidemiology, nature, determinants, neurobiology, prevention, treatment and outcomes. The scope includes, but is not limited to anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder and other eating disorders. Related areas such as important co-morbidities, obesity, body image, appetite, food and eating are also included. Articles about research methodology and assessment are welcomed where they advance the field of eating disorders.
求助内容：
应助结果提醒方式：
京公网安备 11010802042870号
