Eating Disorders in Top Elite Beach Handball Players: Cross Sectional Study
(1) Background: The preoccupation with the increasing appearance of eating disorders (ED) in athletes continues to grow, especially in athletes who practice team sports. ED severely affects the eating habits of the athletes, who tend to use unhealthy approaches to control their body weight. The deve...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-03-01
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| Series: | Children |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/8/3/245 |
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| author | Alejandro Martínez-Rodríguez Manuel Vicente-Martínez Javier Sánchez-Sánchez Laura Miralles-Amorós María Martínez-Olcina Juan Antonio Sánchez-Sáez |
| author_facet | Alejandro Martínez-Rodríguez Manuel Vicente-Martínez Javier Sánchez-Sánchez Laura Miralles-Amorós María Martínez-Olcina Juan Antonio Sánchez-Sáez |
| author_sort | Alejandro Martínez-Rodríguez |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | (1) Background: The preoccupation with the increasing appearance of eating disorders (ED) in athletes continues to grow, especially in athletes who practice team sports. ED severely affects the eating habits of the athletes, who tend to use unhealthy approaches to control their body weight. The development of nutritional education and early interventions by training staff is essential, and these factors are widely perceived as beneficial in sports medicine. This study evaluates the frequency at which beach handball (BH) players develop ED, also comparing the differences by sex and age (junior: adolescents vs. senior: young adults). In addition, the relation between body composition variables and ED was studied. (2) Methods: A descriptive and cross-sectional study was carried out in 69 top elite handball players (36 males and 33 females) from the Spanish National BH Team; who were separated by age (junior: adolescents and senior: young adults). The athletes completed the Eating Attitudes Test in its 26 item version (EAT-26). (3) Results: The prevalence of ED indicated that 11% of females had a high possibility of developing an ED, and 3% of males. Regarding the EAT-26 total score and subscales, no significant differences were found between female and male participants, or between the junior and senior categories. The correlations showed an association between body composition, in terms of body mass index, and the EAT-26 total score in both males and females. In the case of males, the correlation was negative. (4) Conclusions: Although there are no significant differences between sex or categories, it has been found that elite athletes are a population that is at high risk of developing ED. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T12:59:48Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-36125dd2598c46158a1768c8f8d81bdd |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2227-9067 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T12:59:48Z |
| publishDate | 2021-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Children |
| spelling | doaj.art-36125dd2598c46158a1768c8f8d81bdd2023-11-21T11:34:12ZengMDPI AGChildren2227-90672021-03-018324510.3390/children8030245Eating Disorders in Top Elite Beach Handball Players: Cross Sectional StudyAlejandro Martínez-Rodríguez0Manuel Vicente-Martínez1Javier Sánchez-Sánchez2Laura Miralles-Amorós3María Martínez-Olcina4Juan Antonio Sánchez-Sáez5Department of Analytical Chemistry, Nutrition and Food Science, Faculty of Sciences, Alicante University, 03690 Alicante, SpainFaculty of Health Science, Miguel de Cervantes European University, 47012 Valladolid, SpainSchool of Sport Sciences, Universidad Europea de Madrid, 28670 Madrid, SpainDepartment of Analytical Chemistry, Nutrition and Food Science, Faculty of Sciences, Alicante University, 03690 Alicante, SpainDepartment of Analytical Chemistry, Nutrition and Food Science, Faculty of Sciences, Alicante University, 03690 Alicante, SpainGDOT Research Group, Faculty of Sport, Universidad Católica de Murcia, 30107 Murcia, Spain(1) Background: The preoccupation with the increasing appearance of eating disorders (ED) in athletes continues to grow, especially in athletes who practice team sports. ED severely affects the eating habits of the athletes, who tend to use unhealthy approaches to control their body weight. The development of nutritional education and early interventions by training staff is essential, and these factors are widely perceived as beneficial in sports medicine. This study evaluates the frequency at which beach handball (BH) players develop ED, also comparing the differences by sex and age (junior: adolescents vs. senior: young adults). In addition, the relation between body composition variables and ED was studied. (2) Methods: A descriptive and cross-sectional study was carried out in 69 top elite handball players (36 males and 33 females) from the Spanish National BH Team; who were separated by age (junior: adolescents and senior: young adults). The athletes completed the Eating Attitudes Test in its 26 item version (EAT-26). (3) Results: The prevalence of ED indicated that 11% of females had a high possibility of developing an ED, and 3% of males. Regarding the EAT-26 total score and subscales, no significant differences were found between female and male participants, or between the junior and senior categories. The correlations showed an association between body composition, in terms of body mass index, and the EAT-26 total score in both males and females. In the case of males, the correlation was negative. (4) Conclusions: Although there are no significant differences between sex or categories, it has been found that elite athletes are a population that is at high risk of developing ED.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/8/3/245eating disordersEating Attitudes Test-26body weighthealthy habitsteam sports |
| spellingShingle | Alejandro Martínez-Rodríguez Manuel Vicente-Martínez Javier Sánchez-Sánchez Laura Miralles-Amorós María Martínez-Olcina Juan Antonio Sánchez-Sáez Eating Disorders in Top Elite Beach Handball Players: Cross Sectional Study Children eating disorders Eating Attitudes Test-26 body weight healthy habits team sports |
| title | Eating Disorders in Top Elite Beach Handball Players: Cross Sectional Study |
| title_full | Eating Disorders in Top Elite Beach Handball Players: Cross Sectional Study |
| title_fullStr | Eating Disorders in Top Elite Beach Handball Players: Cross Sectional Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Eating Disorders in Top Elite Beach Handball Players: Cross Sectional Study |
| title_short | Eating Disorders in Top Elite Beach Handball Players: Cross Sectional Study |
| title_sort | eating disorders in top elite beach handball players cross sectional study |
| topic | eating disorders Eating Attitudes Test-26 body weight healthy habits team sports |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/8/3/245 |
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