Low-Energy Availability and the Electronic Preparticipation Examination in College Athletes: Is There a Better Way to Screen?

Abstract

The electronic preparticipation physical examination (ePPE) is commonly used to identify health conditions that would affect participation in sports for athletes, including disordered eating and/or low energy availability (EA). A secondary analysis was performed using a cohort study of female college athletes attending a Division 1 university between 2008 and 2014. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression analyses were used to explore the association between responses to questions on the ePPE related to eating behaviors and Female Athlete Triad (Triad). Risk categories (low, moderate, or high) were assigned to 239 athletes participating in 16 sports. The majority of responses on the ePPE did not identify athletes associated with moderate-/high-risk categories. Our findings suggest that ePPE may not sufficiently identify athletes at elevated risk for health concerns of the Triad. Our findings suggest that future ePPE may consider validated screening tools for disordered eating to help identify athletes at risk of low EA.