The Impact of Puberty on Body and Eating Concerns in Athletic and Nonathletic Contexts

Abstract

Two studies were conducted to examine the possible impact of puberty on body and eating concerns in different contexts. In Study 1, associations of maturational timing with body and eating concerns were examined in swimmers, dancers, and nonathletes in the middle adolescentyears; girls from 14 to 18 years of age were seen (287 nonathletes, 64 dancers, and 72 swimmers). They were classified as early, on-time, and late maturers on the basis of menarcheal age and status. In Study 2, 238 girls (193 nonathletes and 45 dancers) were seen twice, once in middle school and again two years later. Predictors of eating problems were examined concurrently and longitudinally. Pubertal, family, and personality factors were associated with eating problems in the nonathletes but not the dancers during middle school. Concurrently and longitudinally, body image predicted eating attitudes in both samples. Results are discussed in terms of goodness-of-fit and developmental psychopathology models.