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Health Education Prevention for Eating Disorders Among College Female Athletes
Objective:
To decrease risk factors for eating disorders among female college
athletes. Methods: Athletes (n=70) in 7 major university
sports were randomly assigned to either an 8-week health education
intervention or a comparison group. Results: Intervention
subjects scored lower on drive for thinness (p less than .01) and
body dissatisfaction (p less than .05); comparison group was lower
on self-esteem (p less than .001) and nutrition knowledge (p less
than .05). Regression analyses revealed that the educational intervention
was associated with decreased drive for thinness (p less than .05)
and decreased drive for thinness was associated with decreased body
dissatisfaction (p less than .01). Conclusion: The intervention
is unique and shows promise for helping female collegiate athletes
at high risk for eating disorders. |