Abstract
PurposeTo examine the prevalence of disordered eating (DE) in elite male and female soccer players and the influence of perfectionism.MethodsUsing a cross-sectional design, elite male (n = 137) and female (n = 70) soccer players and non-athlete controls (n = 179) completed the clinical perfectionism questionnaire (CPQ-12) and the eating attitudes test (EAT-26) to assess perfectionism and DE risk, respectively.ResultsMale soccer players had higher EAT-26 scores than controls (10.4 ± 9.9 vs. 6.8 ± 6.7; P = 0.001), but there were no differences in the prevalence of clinical levels of DE (EAT-26 score ≥ 20) (15 vs. 5%, respectively; X2 = 0.079) The proportion of females with DE risk was higher in controls [EAT-26: 13.9 ± 11.6 (25% of population)] than female players [EAT-26: 10.0 ± 9.0% (11% of population)] (X2 = 0.001). With linear regression, perfectionism explained 20% of the variation in DE risk in males (P = 0.001); in females, athletic status (player vs. control) and perfectionism were significant predictors of DE risk, explaining 21% of the variation (P = 0.001). Male reserve team players had higher EAT-26 (+ 3.5) and perfectionism (+ 2.7) scores than first-team players (P < 0.05). There were no differences in the prevalence of DE risk between the male and female soccer players (X2 = 0.595).ConclusionsThe prevalence of DE risk was not different in elite male and female soccer players; in fact, the prevalence was greatest in non-athlete female controls. Perfectionism is a significant predictor of DE risk in males and females.Level of evidenceIII, case–control study.
Highlights
Over the past 2 decades, a number of studies have emerged suggesting disordered eating (DE) which is more prevalent in athletes than non-athletes [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8]
Step 1 controlled for the effects of age and this was a significant predictor of EAT-26 scores
Adding CPQ-12 and Athletic Status in Step 2 increased the predictive power of the model, but only CPQ-12 was significantly associated with EAT-26 scores (Table 2)
Summary
Over the past 2 decades, a number of studies have emerged suggesting disordered eating (DE) which is more prevalent in athletes than non-athletes [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8]. The specific reasons are not entirely clear, but a number of studies suggest that the PepsiCo, Leicester, UK 8 School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, Loughborough LE11 3TU, UK 9 Institute of Cellular Medicine, Newcastle University, Newcastle on Tyne, UK. Eating and Weight Disorders - Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity (2021) 26:491–498 pressure to perform, achieve the optimal body shape, the regular engagement in dieting behavior, the frequent relationship changes, or a health complication can increase the risk of DE in athletes [9, 10]. In a study by Sundgot-Borgen et al [8], 24% of the elite Norwegian soccer players studied met the criteria for an eating disorder
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