Body image, anthropometric measures, and eating-disorder prevalence in auxiliary unit members.
BACKGROUND
Medical professionals have recognized eating disorders and related problems in competitive athletes. Auxiliary members (color guard, dance, majorettes) experience the same appearance-related pressures observed in sports commonly associated with eating disorders.


OBJECTIVE
To estimate eating-disorder prevalence based on associated eating-disorder characteristics and behaviors in female auxiliary members and to compare perceived and ideal body images and anthropometric measurements between at-risk and not-at-risk participants for eating-disorder characteristics and behaviors.


METHODS
Cross-sectional design.


METHODS
Three universities in the southeastern United States.


METHODS
Participants (n = 101, mean age = 19.2 +/- 1.2 years) represented 3 auxiliary units, including color guard (n = 35), dance line (n = 47), and majorettes (n = 19).


METHODS
Participants self-reported menstrual history, height, and weight. Anthropometric measurements included height, weight, body fat percentage, and waist and hip circumferences. We screened for eating-disorder risk behavior with the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT)-26 and for body dissatisfaction with the Figural Stimuli Survey.


RESULTS
Based on the EAT-26, we estimated eating-disorder prevalence among members to measure 29.7% (95% confidence interval = 20.8%, 38.6%). The EAT-26 results revealed that 21% of participants used purgatives and 14% vomited to control weight or shape. The at-risk group had higher scores on the EAT-26 total (P <or= .01) and on the dieting (P <or= .01), oral control (P = .02), and bulimia (P = .01) subscales. Hip circumference (P = .01), self-reported weight (P = .03), measured weight (P = .04), difference between measured and preferred weights (P = .02), and calculated target weight (P = .02) were different between the at-risk and not-at-risk groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Collegiate auxiliary unit members may have an unacceptable prevalence of eating disorders. Our results validate concerns that auxiliary members may exhibit an unacceptable eating-disorder risk, highlighting the need to examine and address unhealthy weight-management behaviors independent of eating-disorder status.
Torres-McGehee
Toni M
TM
University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA. torresmc@mailbox.sc.edu
Green
James M
JM
Leeper
James D
JD
Leaver-Dunn
Deidre
D
Richardson
Mark
M
Bishop
Phillip A
PA
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000886:Anthropometry; D001828:Body Image; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003163:Competitive Behavior; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003615:Dancing; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008598:Menstruation; D009752:Nutritional Status; D015995:Prevalence; D011594:Psychometrics; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D015431:Weight Loss