Psychosocial predictors of eating classification in female athletes: From collegiate sport to retirement

Objective Due to high prevalence, female athletes are considered a high‐risk group for eating disorders (i.e., clinical ED = 2.0% to 19.9%; subclinical ED = 7.1% to 49.2%). Cross‐sectional and longitudinal research have identified psychosocial factors that influence current and future disordered eat...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The International journal of eating disorders 2021-04, Vol.54 (4), p.646-651
Main Authors: Thompson, Alexandra, Petrie, Trent, Balcom, Kayla, Tackett, Bailey, Edward Watkins, C.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
body image
body satisfaction
dietary restraint
disordered eating
eating disorder
Eating disorders
exercise
internalization
longitudinal
Retirement
sport pressures
weight pressures
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Summary:Objective Due to high prevalence, female athletes are considered a high‐risk group for eating disorders (i.e., clinical ED = 2.0% to 19.9%; subclinical ED = 7.1% to 49.2%). Cross‐sectional and longitudinal research have identified psychosocial factors that influence current and future disordered eating (e.g., appearance pressures, body satisfaction), but are limited in design (e.g., timeframe, active competitors). Quantitative evaluations of psychosocial predictors of female athletes' disordered eating in retirement are lacking. Method The current study investigated the predictive ability of psychosocial risk factors (e.g., body dissatisfaction, negative affect) from Time1, when collegiate female athletes were actively competing, to Time2, 6 years later when the women were retired (N = 194; Mage = 25.75 years [SD = 1.19]). Results From Time1 to Time2, 23.5% of the women who were Healthy moved to the Disordered classification; 51% remained in Disordered. The full model for athletes who maintained their Disordered status correctly classified 76% of the athletes. Dietary intent, pressure to exercise and change appearance, body satisfaction, and internalization significantly predicted athletes' maintenance as Disordered. Discussion Early intervention efforts that address appearance pressures, body image, and healthful eating when athletes are actively competing are vital to help alleviate future distress, particularly in retirement.
ISSN:0276-3478
1098-108X
DOI:10.1002/eat.23456