Body image concern and eating disorder symptoms among elite Icelandic athletes

5.8.2019

Recently, Hafrún Kristjánsdóttir, Jose M. Saavedra and and their colleagues have been published an interesting paper in International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. This journal has an Impact factor of 2.468 and it is ranked in 65th place out of 187 journals (Public, Environmental and Occupational Health) Social Science Edition-2018, Journal Citation Reports. The aim of this study was to analyse body image concerns and symptoms of eating disorders in elite Icelandic athletes according to their sex, and sport practiced. The participants were 755 athletes (24.8±3.5 years in age) who compete at the highest possible level in Iceland. Representing 20 different sports, they were divided into five sports groups. Three questionnaires were used: the Body Shape Questionnaire to assess body image concerns; the Bulimia Test-Revised to assess the main symptoms of bulimia; and the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire to identify disordered eating attitudes and behaviours. A chi-squared test was used to analyse differences in prevalence of body image concern and eating disorders, a t-test for the differences between men and women, and a one-way ANOVA to compare the different sports. The main findings were that 17.9% of the athletes presented severe or moderate body image dissatisfaction, and 18.2% (25.3% of the women) were above the clinical cut-off for body image concern. Women's scores were higher than men's (whole sample and ball games) in all variables except restraint. These results seem to point to the existence of a real problem that athlete, coaches, doctors, and institutions need to take into account.

More information: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/16/15/2728

 

Body image concern and eating disorder symptoms among elite Icelandic athletes

5.8.2019

Recently, Hafrún Kristjánsdóttir, Jose M. Saavedra and and their colleagues have been published an interesting paper in International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. This journal has an Impact factor of 2.468 and it is ranked in 65th place out of 187 journals (Public, Environmental and Occupational Health) Social Science Edition-2018, Journal Citation Reports. The aim of this study was to analyse body image concerns and symptoms of eating disorders in elite Icelandic athletes according to their sex, and sport practiced. The participants were 755 athletes (24.8±3.5 years in age) who compete at the highest possible level in Iceland. Representing 20 different sports, they were divided into five sports groups. Three questionnaires were used: the Body Shape Questionnaire to assess body image concerns; the Bulimia Test-Revised to assess the main symptoms of bulimia; and the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire to identify disordered eating attitudes and behaviours. A chi-squared test was used to analyse differences in prevalence of body image concern and eating disorders, a t-test for the differences between men and women, and a one-way ANOVA to compare the different sports. The main findings were that 17.9% of the athletes presented severe or moderate body image dissatisfaction, and 18.2% (25.3% of the women) were above the clinical cut-off for body image concern. Women's scores were higher than men's (whole sample and ball games) in all variables except restraint. These results seem to point to the existence of a real problem that athlete, coaches, doctors, and institutions need to take into account.

More information: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/16/15/2728

 

Body image concern and eating disorder symptoms among elite Icelandic athletes

5.8.2019

Recently, Hafrún Kristjánsdóttir, Jose M. Saavedra and and their colleagues have been published an interesting paper in International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. This journal has an Impact factor of 2.468 and it is ranked in 65th place out of 187 journals (Public, Environmental and Occupational Health) Social Science Edition-2018, Journal Citation Reports. The aim of this study was to analyse body image concerns and symptoms of eating disorders in elite Icelandic athletes according to their sex, and sport practiced. The participants were 755 athletes (24.8±3.5 years in age) who compete at the highest possible level in Iceland. Representing 20 different sports, they were divided into five sports groups. Three questionnaires were used: the Body Shape Questionnaire to assess body image concerns; the Bulimia Test-Revised to assess the main symptoms of bulimia; and the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire to identify disordered eating attitudes and behaviours. A chi-squared test was used to analyse differences in prevalence of body image concern and eating disorders, a t-test for the differences between men and women, and a one-way ANOVA to compare the different sports. The main findings were that 17.9% of the athletes presented severe or moderate body image dissatisfaction, and 18.2% (25.3% of the women) were above the clinical cut-off for body image concern. Women's scores were higher than men's (whole sample and ball games) in all variables except restraint. These results seem to point to the existence of a real problem that athlete, coaches, doctors, and institutions need to take into account.

More information: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/16/15/2728

 

Body image concern and eating disorder symptoms among elite Icelandic athletes

5.8.2019

Recently, Hafrún Kristjánsdóttir, Jose M. Saavedra and and their colleagues have been published an interesting paper in International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. This journal has an Impact factor of 2.468 and it is ranked in 65th place out of 187 journals (Public, Environmental and Occupational Health) Social Science Edition-2018, Journal Citation Reports. The aim of this study was to analyse body image concerns and symptoms of eating disorders in elite Icelandic athletes according to their sex, and sport practiced. The participants were 755 athletes (24.8±3.5 years in age) who compete at the highest possible level in Iceland. Representing 20 different sports, they were divided into five sports groups. Three questionnaires were used: the Body Shape Questionnaire to assess body image concerns; the Bulimia Test-Revised to assess the main symptoms of bulimia; and the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire to identify disordered eating attitudes and behaviours. A chi-squared test was used to analyse differences in prevalence of body image concern and eating disorders, a t-test for the differences between men and women, and a one-way ANOVA to compare the different sports. The main findings were that 17.9% of the athletes presented severe or moderate body image dissatisfaction, and 18.2% (25.3% of the women) were above the clinical cut-off for body image concern. Women's scores were higher than men's (whole sample and ball games) in all variables except restraint. These results seem to point to the existence of a real problem that athlete, coaches, doctors, and institutions need to take into account.

More information: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/16/15/2728