AUTHOR=Baldó Vela Daniel , Bonfanti Noelia , Villarino Marín Luis Antonio 

TITLE=Eating disorders risk assessment in men who practice team sports

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Nutrition

VOLUME=Volume 9 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2022.957075

DOI=10.3389/fnut.2022.957075

ISSN=2296-861X

ABSTRACT=Introduction. Eating disorders (EDs) are characterized by an overconcern about body weight and shape. Men who practice team sports have been systematically excluded from the high-risk eating disorders groups. This exclusion could be challenged based on misinformation about the actual eating disorders prevalence within these athletes, the previous evidence showing significant body image concern among them and the under-diagnosis risk in populations of men. Objective. To assess eating disorders risk in Spanish adult men who practice team sports. Methodology. An observational study has been conducted with 276 athlete men aged between 18 and 55: 167 team sports players and 109 athletes of aesthetic, endurance and sports categorized by weight. Data was collected via an online form including a general assessment sheet and four validated questionnaires: The Eating Habits Questionnaire for Athletes (CHAD), the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-40), the Inventory of Eating Disorders (EDI-2) and the Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ). Data analysis was conducted with the software IBM SPSS 28.0.0. Results. 20.36% of team sports players presented a clinical profile compatible with an ED diagnosis. Odds ratio test did not show significant differences comparing EDs potential cases between team sports players and the sample of high EDs risk. χ2 test showed significant differences analyzing EDs existence between the different groups of age, family pressure and coach pressure. U of Mann-Whitney test presented significant differences assessing BMI influence over EDs development. Conclusion. Men who practice team sports may also be a high-risk group for the development of EDs. Factors as being <21, BMI > 25 and high-level pressure perceived from coach and/or family would be risk factors of EDs in men who practice team sports.