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Psychological risk indicators of disordered eating in athletes.

ABSTRACT: OBJECTIVES:This project examined risk factors of disordered eating in athletes by adapting and applying a theoretical model. It tested a previously proposed theoretical model and explored the utility of a newly formed model within an athletic population across gender, age, and sport type to explain disordered eating. DESIGN:The design was cross-sectional and the first phase in a series of longitudinal studies. METHODS:1,017 athletes completed online questionnaires related to social pressures, internalisation, body dissatisfaction, negative affect, restriction, and bulimia. Structural equation modelling was employed to analyse the fit of the measurement and structural models and to do invariance testing. RESULTS:The original theoretical model failed to achieve acceptable goodness of fit (?2 [70, 1017] = 1043.07; p < .0001. CFI = .55; GFI = .88; NFI = .53; RMSEA = .12 [90% CI = .111-.123]). Removal of non-significant pathways and addition of social media resulted in the model achieving a parsimonious goodness of fit (?2 [19, 1017] = 77.58; p < .0001. CFI = .96; GFI = .98; NFI = .95; RMSEA = .055 [90% CI = .043-.068]). Invariance tests revealed that the newly revised model differed across gender, age, level, competition status, and length of sport participation. CONCLUSION:This study showed that the formation of disordered eating symptomology might not be associated with sport pressures experienced by athletes. It revealed that disordered eating development varies across gender, competition level, sport type, and age, which must be considered to prevent and treat disordered eating in athletes.

SUBMITTER: Stoyel H

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7224458 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Psychological risk indicators of disordered eating in athletes.

Stoyel Hannah H Shanmuganathan-Felton Vaithehy V Meyer Caroline C Serpell Lucy L

PloS one 20200514 5

<h4>Objectives</h4>This project examined risk factors of disordered eating in athletes by adapting and applying a theoretical model. It tested a previously proposed theoretical model and explored the utility of a newly formed model within an athletic population across gender, age, and sport type to explain disordered eating.<h4>Design</h4>The design was cross-sectional and the first phase in a series of longitudinal studies.<h4>Methods</h4>1,017 athletes completed online questionnaires related t ...[more]

PMID: 32407345

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Project description:ObjectiveThere is ongoing discussion about whether sports participation is a risk or protective factor for eating disorders (EDs). Research is mixed, with some studies suggesting that athletes have higher mean levels of ED psychopathology compared to nonathletes, while other studies suggest the opposite effect or no differences. The purpose of the current meta-analysis was to identify whether female athletes reported higher mean levels of ED psychopathology compared to nonathletes.MethodFollowing PRISMA guidelines, we identified 56 studies that reported ED psychopathology for female athletes and nonathletes. A three-level random-effects model of between- and within-study variance was completed for the following outcome variables: overall ED psychopathology, body dissatisfaction, drive for thinness, restricting, and loss-of-control eating.ResultsAthletes reported lower levels of body dissatisfaction compared to nonathletes (g = -.21, p < .0001). Athletes and nonathletes reported similar levels of overall ED psychopathology, drive for thinness, restricting, and loss-of-control eating on average. Sport type significantly moderated standardized mean difference effect sizes of ED psychopathology in athletes versus nonathletes. Effect sizes comparing levels of drive for thinness, restricting, and loss-of-control eating in athletes versus nonathletes were larger for studies with athletes participating in aesthetic/lean sports compared to nonaesthetic/nonlean sports.DiscussionFindings from this meta-analysis could inform future ED prevention and treatment in female athletes by providing further evidence that athletes in aesthetic/lean sports may report higher levels of ED psychopathology. Participating in nonaesthetic/nonlean sports may be a protective factor for experiencing less body dissatisfaction.Public significance statementThe current meta-analysis summarized findings from 56 studies that assessed levels of disordered eating, body dissatisfaction, dietary restricting, and loss-of-control eating in female athletes and nonathletes. Athletes reported lower levels of body dissatisfaction compared to nonathletes, highlighting that participation in sport could have some protective factors. Athletes participating in sports that require weight categories (e.g., judo) and sports that emphasize thinness/leanness (e.g., gymnastics and distance running) had higher levels of disordered eating relative to athletes participating in other types of sports that do not emphasize thinness/leanness (e.g., volleyball and basketball).

Project description:BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has seen worsened mental health as a result of lockdowns, isolation and changes to sociocultural functioning. The postponement of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics is representative of global cancellations of sporting events, reduced facility access and support restrictions that have affected both current and former athlete's psychological wellbeing. This study aimed to determine whether current (n = 93) and former (n = 111) athletes experienced worsened body image, relationship with food or eating disorder symptomatology during acute COVID-19 transitions.MethodsThe study was a Convergent Mixed Methods design whereby qualitative content analysis was collected and analysed simultaneously with quantitative cross-sectional data using the EAT-26 and self-report COVID-19 questions. Data were collected from April until May 2020 to capture data pertaining to transitions related to the pandemic and included individuals across 41 different individual and team sports from club to international competition levels.ResultsThere was a surge in disordered eating in current and former athletes as a result of the early COVID-19 response. Eating disorders were suggested to occur in 21.1% of participants (18% current athletes n = 17, 25% former athletes (n = 26). There was a significant difference between males and females (p = 0.018, r = 0.17), but interestingly no differences between groups from individual vs team sports, type of sporting category (endurance, antigravitational, ball sport, power, technical and aesthetic) or level of competition (club, state, national or international). 34.8% (n = 69) self-reported worsened body image and 32.8% (n = 65) self-reported a worsened food relationship directly from COVID-19. Qualitative analysis indicated that disordered eating occurred predominantly in the form of body preoccupation, inhibitory food control, fear of body composition changes and binge eating.ConclusionsThis study indicates that transitions in COVID-19 have worsened food-body relationships in current and former athletes and must be treated as an at-risk time for eating disorder development. We suggest that resources are allocated appropriately to assist athletes to foster psychologically positive food and body relationships through COVID-19 transitions. This study makes practice suggestions in supporting athletes to manage control, seek support, adapt and accept change and promote connection and variety through athletic transitions.

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Psychological risk indicators of disordered eating in athletes.

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Psychological risk indicators of disordered eating in athletes.

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