TY - JOUR
T1 - Food attitudes in female athletes
T2 - Association with menstrual cycle length
AU - Williams, Nancy
AU - Leidy, Heather
AU - Flecker, Kathleen
AU - Galucci, Angelique
N1 - Funding Information:
We would like to thank the members of the Exercise Endocrinology and Metabolism Laboratory, and in particular Paula Wilkins, for their support. We would also like to thank the coaches, athletes and nonathletes who either facilitated or served as participants in the study. The study was supported by the Interdisciplinary Seed Grant Program of the College of Health and Human Development, Penn State University.
PY - 2006/9
Y1 - 2006/9
N2 - The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between indicators of risk of disordered eating, body image and varied menstrual cycle lengths. Altogether, 151 female athletes were invited from 16 sports and 70 female non-athletic controls were recruited from a university lecture class. The participants completed several surveys, including demographics, menstrual cycle history, physical activity, Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI) and the Three Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ). Selected EDI subscales were summed to reflect eating disorder risk and body image. Menstrual cyclicity was based on self-reported cycle length for the last 6 months (normal cycles = 26-32 days, irregular cycles ≤ 26 or > 32 days). Athletes overall had more irregular cycles (29.1%) than the non-athletes (15.7%) (P < 0.05). There were significant differences in scores for eating disorder risk, body dissatisfaction, drive for thinness, cognitive restraint (TFEQ) and disinhibition (TFEQ), only when athletes were divided based on menstrual cyclicity (i.e. irregularly cycling athletes had higher scores than athletes with normal menstrual cycle lengths). No differences in these scores were found between non-athletes with normal or irregular menstrual cycle lengths. In conclusion, irregularly short or long menstrual cycle length is associated with subtle indications of higher risk of disordered eating in female athletes.
AB - The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between indicators of risk of disordered eating, body image and varied menstrual cycle lengths. Altogether, 151 female athletes were invited from 16 sports and 70 female non-athletic controls were recruited from a university lecture class. The participants completed several surveys, including demographics, menstrual cycle history, physical activity, Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI) and the Three Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ). Selected EDI subscales were summed to reflect eating disorder risk and body image. Menstrual cyclicity was based on self-reported cycle length for the last 6 months (normal cycles = 26-32 days, irregular cycles ≤ 26 or > 32 days). Athletes overall had more irregular cycles (29.1%) than the non-athletes (15.7%) (P < 0.05). There were significant differences in scores for eating disorder risk, body dissatisfaction, drive for thinness, cognitive restraint (TFEQ) and disinhibition (TFEQ), only when athletes were divided based on menstrual cyclicity (i.e. irregularly cycling athletes had higher scores than athletes with normal menstrual cycle lengths). No differences in these scores were found between non-athletes with normal or irregular menstrual cycle lengths. In conclusion, irregularly short or long menstrual cycle length is associated with subtle indications of higher risk of disordered eating in female athletes.
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U2 - 10.1080/02640410500456986
DO - 10.1080/02640410500456986
M3 - Article
C2 - 16882632
AN - SCOPUS:33746809491
SN - 0264-0414
VL - 24
SP - 979
EP - 986
JO - Journal of Sports Sciences
JF - Journal of Sports Sciences
IS - 9
ER -