Nutrition and Eating in Female College Athletes: A Survey of Coaches

Heffner, Jaimee L.; Ogles, Benjamin M.; Gold, Ellsa; Marsden, Kimberlyann; Johnson, Michael

doi:10.1080/10640260390218666

Cited by 35 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…Another clear area of gendered results was with respect to attitudes and communication about menstrual irregularity, and in many ways it reflects previous findings of gender differences among collegiate coaches (Heffner et al, 2003;Sherman et al, 2005). Compared to female coaches, male coaches reported perceiving menstrual irregularity to be less harmful to health, believing that it was less important to ask athletes about menstrual irregularity, being less comfortable communicating with female athletes about the topic, and believing there to be less of an association between menstrual irregularity and issues of bone health.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 61%

“…Previous studies of college coaches (Heffner et al, 2003;Sherman et al, 2005) have found differences between male and female coaches of female athletes in terms of attitudes and communication with athletes about disorders of the Female Athletes Triad. To our knowledge, the present study is the first to extend this analysis to high school coaches.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…Early detection of symptoms of the Triad may increase the likelihood that athletes receive early treatment and do not progress to a clinically diagnosable eating disorder. Education and training have been previously suggested as important for college coaches to ensure appropriate management of the Triad (Heffner et al, 2003;Pantano, 2006;Sherman et al, 2005). Due to wide variety of high school coach backgrounds and qualifications, institutional education, access to resources, and performance pressure within the athletic environment, high school coaches and college coaches are not likely to share the same knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors with respect to the Female Athlete Triad.…”

mentioning

confidence: 95%

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Gender Differences in High School Coaches’ Knowledge, Attitudes, and Communication About the Female Athlete Triad

Kroshus¹,

Sherman²,

Thompson³

et al. 2014

Eating Disorders

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The objective of this study was to assess high school coaches' knowledge, attitudes, communication, and management decisions with respect to the Female Athlete Triad and to determine whether results are patterned by coach gender. Data were obtained through an online survey of high school coaches (n = 227). Significant differences were found between male and female coaches in certain attitudes and communication behaviors related to eating and menstrual irregularity. School or district level policies may help reduce these differences and may help mitigate the health consequences for athletes related to possible differential prevention and detection of the comorbidities of the Female Athlete Triad.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 61%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

mentioning

confidence: 95%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Gender Differences in High School Coaches’ Knowledge, Attitudes, and Communication About the Female Athlete Triad

Kroshus¹,

Sherman²,

Thompson³

et al. 2014

Eating Disorders

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“…Gender is one risk factor for ED among athletes, with female athletes especially at risk [7][8][9]. Another risk factor is the level of performance, with athletes at the highest levels of competition being at the highest risk [10][11][12]. Factors that contribute to risk, both environmental (e.g., the intense pressure to be thin) and attitudinal (e.g., persistence, perfectionist tendencies), are common in elite athletes [13].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Moving from Knowledge to Action: A Qualitative Study of Elite Coaches' Capacity for Early Intervention in Cases of Eating Disorders

Nowicka

Eli

et al. 2013

International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching

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This study investigates elite coaches' attitudes toward eating disorders (ED), knowledge about ED, and early intervention skills when confronted with possible ED in their female athletes. We interviewed 18 coaches in Sweden responsible for athletes representing national teams in the three sports categories most at risk for ED: aesthetic, weight class, and endurance. The interviews revealed that, although most coaches knew athletes with ED, they did not perceive ED as a problem in their sport. The majority of coaches cited difficulties in identifying ED symptoms, especially symptoms associated with bulimia nervosa. Coaches also described several barriers in approaching the athletes, including the athletes' denial of ED, lack of female colleagues on the team and the lack of easily accessible resources for treatment referral on both the national sports federation and the club levels. This study reveals that elite coaches have insufficient capacity to identify ED and conduct early intervention, resulting in delayed treatment. INTRODUCTIONNot all athletes are at elevated risk for developing eating disorders (ED), but for those who are, early intervention by coaches can be crucial. High prevalence rates of ED have been documented in aesthetic, endurance, and weight class sports [1][2][3][4]. High prevalence rates may be a result of specific demands placed on athletes. For example, success in aesthetic sports such as rhythmic gymnastics requires a low body weight and lean appearance, which may lead to pressure to maintain a thin figure from judges, coaches, and parents. In a study of female figure skaters competing in pair skating and ice dancing, all skaters, though lean, reported trying to lose weight [5]. In response to the question "Do you think that there are pressures associated with figure skating to lose weight or maintain a below average weight?" 92.7% of figure skaters responded "yes". The same pattern occurred in a study of elite rhythmic gymnasts, members of the Norwegian national team [6]. Likewise, in endurance sports, where leanness is deemed key to optimal performance, and in weight class sports, where an athlete's body weight determines her/his classification in competition, dieting and disordered eating practices are highly prevalent [3]. Gender is one risk factor for ED among athletes, with female athletes especially at risk [7][8][9]. Another risk factor is the level of performance, with athletes at the highest levels of competition being at the highest risk [10][11][12]. Factors that contribute to risk, both environmental (e.g., the intense pressure to be thin) and attitudinal (e.g., persistence, perfectionist tendencies), are common in elite athletes [13]. Collectively, as female athletes performing on elite levels in aesthetic, endurance, and weight class sports have been found to engage in disordered eating behaviors and attitudes more frequently than non-elite athletes in the same sports, and more frequently than elite athletes in other sports [10], continuous research is needed to pro...

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“…For example, 37% of U.S. college coaches indicated that amenorrhea was "normal." Further, coaches' behaviors may increase athletes' likelihood of developing EDs, such as by monitoring eating patterns, regularly weighing athletes and assessing body fat, and encouraging weight loss through food restriction and extra workouts (Heffner, Ogles, Gold, Marsden, & Johnson, 2003). Athletes may be particularly sensitive to, and influenced by, weight and body comments made by coaches (e.g., de Bruin, Oudejans, & Bakker, 2007).…”

Section: Identificationmentioning

confidence: 99%