title: Female athlete triad screening in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I athletes: is the preparticipation evaluation form effective?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the screening practices and preparticipation evaluation (PPE) forms used to identify college athletes at risk for the female athlete triad (triad).
  
  
  METHODS
  Phone and/or e-mail survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I universities.
  
  
  METHODS
  All 347 NCAA Division I universities were invited to participate in a survey, with 257 participating in the survey (74%) and 287 forms collected (83%).
  
  
  METHODS
  Information about the nature of the PPE was requested from team physicians and certified athletic trainers during a phone or e-mail survey. In addition, a copy of their PPE form was requested to evaluate for inclusion of the 12 items recommended by the Female Athlete Triad Coalition for primary screening for the triad.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All 257 universities (100%) required a PPE for incoming athletes; however, only 83 universities (32%) required an annual PPE for returning athletes. Screening was performed on campus at 218 universities (85%). Eleven universities (4%) were using the recently updated fourth edition PPE. Only 25 universities (9%) had 9 or more of the 12 recommended items included in their forms, whereas 127 universities (44%) included 4 or less items. Relevant items that were omitted from more than 40% of forms included losing weight to meet the image requirements of a sport; using vomiting, diuretics, and/or laxatives to lose weight; and the number of menses experienced in the past 12 months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The current PPE forms used by NCAA Division I universities may not effectively screen for the triad.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Women's Sports Medicine Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53226, USA.
authors.forename: Tara
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mencias
authors.forename: Megan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Noon
authors.forename: Anne Z
authors.initials: AZ
authors.lastname: Hoch
mesh_terms: D056352:Athletes; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008599:Menstruation Disturbances / Q000175:diagnosis*; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D013334:Students; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States; D014495:Universities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data