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The Risk of Eating Disorders in Adolescent Athletes: How We Might Address This Phenomenon?
Isabel Cristina Rojas-Padilla1,2, Iago Portela-Pino3, María José Martínez-Patiño2
1Faculty of Educational and Sports Sciences, National School of Sports, Cali 760042, Colombia.
Sports (Basel, Switzerland)
|March 27, 2024
Summary
This study found that 21.2% of Colombian adolescent athletes have a low risk of eating disorders. However, risk factors like competition results and training hours are linked to eating disorder prevalence.
Area of Science:
- Sports Medicine
- Psychiatry
- Adolescent Health
Background:
- Eating disorders are complex psychiatric conditions affecting diverse populations.
- Adolescent athletes represent a vulnerable group for developing eating disorders.
- Understanding risk factors in this population is crucial for prevention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess eating disorder risk among Colombian adolescent athletes.
- To explore the relationship between sports profile and eating disorder risk.
- To identify specific factors associated with increased risk.
Main Methods:
- An exploratory, cross-sectional quantitative study.
- Utilized an online survey with sociodemographic questions and the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26) scale.
- Sample included 354 adolescent athletes (182 male, 172 female), mean age 15.59 years.
Main Results:
- Overall, 21.2% of participants showed a low risk of eating disorders, with no significant sex differences.
- Eating disorder risk was associated with competition outcomes (p=0.01), sport type (p=0.032), years of practice (p=0.004), and daily training hours (p=0.011).
Conclusions:
- Adolescent athletes require targeted attention for eating disorder prevention.
- Early identification and intervention are essential to mitigate health and performance consequences.
- Sports participation factors significantly correlate with eating disorder risk in this demographic.
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