title: To Weigh or Not to Weigh? Relation to Disordered Eating Attitudes and Behaviors Among Female Collegiate Athletes.
abstract: Female athletes have been identified as a subpopulation at heightened risk for disordered eating attitudes and behaviors, particularly due to weight pressures in their environment. Using a sample of 414 NCAA Division-I female collegiate athletes, we examined the relations of required team weigh-ins or self-weighing on disordered eating attitudes and behaviors. Through a series of multivariate analyses, we determined that team weighs were unrelated significantly to all outcome measures. Self-weighing, however, differentiated the athletes' scores on internalization, body satisfaction, dietary restraint, negative affect, and bulimic symptomatology; athletes who self-weighed three or more times a week (sometimes 1-2 times per week) reported significantly higher levels of pathology across all measures. Mandatory team-conducted weigh-ins appear to not be a salient pressure for female gymnasts and swimmer/divers, although the frequency of their self-weighing may represent a level of self-monitoring that is associated with greater endorsement of disordered eating attitudes and behaviors.
authors: Psychology Department, University of North Texas, Denton, TX.
authors: Kayla W
authors: KW
authors: Carrigan
authors: Trent A
authors: TA
authors: Petrie
authors: Carlin M
authors: CM
authors: Anderson
mesh_terms: D000339:Affect; D056352:Athletes / Q000523:psychology*; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001828:Body Image / Q000523:psychology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D002032:Bulimia / Q000523:psychology; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011581:Psychological Tests; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult