P-548 - Relatioship between sport competitive anxiety with eating disorders in adolescence athlete students

Abstract

Eating disorders is defined abnormal eating habits that may involve either insufficient or excessive food intake to the detriment of an individuaĺs physical and mental health. The precise cause of eating disorders is not entirely understood, but there is evidence that it may be linked to combination of psychological, medical, social, cultural and environmental conditions. So for better understanding the disorder, the study investigated relationship between sport competitive anxiety and eating disorders in adolescence athlete students. The population of 100 athlete students (50 males and 50 females) were selected and responded to Matner's sport competitive anxiety Inventory and Garner & Garfinkel's Eating Attitudes Test “EAT-26” (EAT-26 assesses: dieting, bulimia and food pre-occupation, oral control). Data were analyzed with Pearson correlation coefficient and “T” independent test. Findings showed that there is positive significant correlation between sport competitive anxiety and bulimia and food pre-occupation in eating disorder. More analysis showed significant difference in male and female athlete students. Female athlete students have more scores in bulimia and food pre-occupation and also sport competitive anxiety than male athlete students. The findings indicated that eating disorders involves in several different factors. Eating disorders are serious problems and need to be diagnosed and treated like any medical and psychological disease, specially during adolescence period in order to preventing the behaviors that may lead to severe life-threatening medical and psychological complications.