Eating behaviours, menstrual history and the athletic career: a retrospective survey from adolescence to adulthood in female endurance athletes
Aim To evaluate differences in menstrual and pubertal history and trends in eating behaviours among women with and without a competitive sports background. Additionally, we investigated if menstrual history and eating behaviours are associated with sports career-related factors.Methods This retrospe...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMJ Publishing Group
2023-03-01
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| Series: | BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine |
| Online Access: | https://bmjopensem.bmj.com/content/9/1/e001489.full |
| _version_ | 1811160220704964608 |
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| author | Urho M Kujala Jari Parkkari Maarit Valtonen Elina Holopainen Silja Kosola Suvi Ravi Johanna K Ihalainen Saara Heinonen Ben Waller |
| author_facet | Urho M Kujala Jari Parkkari Maarit Valtonen Elina Holopainen Silja Kosola Suvi Ravi Johanna K Ihalainen Saara Heinonen Ben Waller |
| author_sort | Urho M Kujala |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Aim To evaluate differences in menstrual and pubertal history and trends in eating behaviours among women with and without a competitive sports background. Additionally, we investigated if menstrual history and eating behaviours are associated with sports career-related factors.Methods This retrospective study was conducted on 100 women with a competitive endurance sports background and their age-matched, gender-matched and municipality-matched controls (n=98). Data were collected using a questionnaire using previously validated instruments. Generalised estimating equations were used to calculate associations of menstrual history and eating behaviours with outcome variables (career length, participation level, injury-related harms and career termination due to injury).Results Athletes reported higher rates of delayed puberty and menstrual dysfunction than controls. No differences between the groups were observed in the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire short form (EDE-QS) scores at any age. Previous disordered eating (DE) was associated with current DE in both groups. Among athletes, higher EDE-QS scores during the sports career were associated with a shorter career (B=−0.15, 95% CI −0.26 to –0.05). Secondary amenorrhoea was associated with lower participation level (OR 0.51, 95% CI 0.27 to 0.95), injury-related harms during the career (OR 4.00, 95% CI 1.88 to 8.48) and career termination due to injury (OR 1.89, 95% CI 1.02 to 3.51).Conclusion The findings indicate that DE behaviours and menstrual dysfunction, specifically secondary amenorrhoea, have a disadvantageous relationship with a sports career in women competing in endurance sports. DE during the sports career is associated with DE after the career. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T05:53:57Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-627f656a97e24320bb8eec4cf6726236 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2055-7647 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T05:53:57Z |
| publishDate | 2023-03-01 |
| publisher | BMJ Publishing Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine |
| spelling | doaj.art-627f656a97e24320bb8eec4cf67262362023-03-03T21:00:15ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine2055-76472023-03-019110.1136/bmjsem-2022-001489Eating behaviours, menstrual history and the athletic career: a retrospective survey from adolescence to adulthood in female endurance athletesUrho M Kujala0Jari Parkkari1Maarit Valtonen2Elina Holopainen3Silja Kosola4Suvi Ravi5Johanna K Ihalainen6Saara Heinonen7Ben Waller8Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, FinlandFaculty of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, FinlandKIHU Research Institute for Olympic Sports, Jyväskylä, FinlandObstetrics and Gynecology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, FinlandPediatric Research Center, New Children`s Hospital, Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, Helsinki, FinlandFaculty of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, FinlandFaculty of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, FinlandFaculty of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, FinlandSports Science Department, Reykjavik University, Reykjavik, IcelandAim To evaluate differences in menstrual and pubertal history and trends in eating behaviours among women with and without a competitive sports background. Additionally, we investigated if menstrual history and eating behaviours are associated with sports career-related factors.Methods This retrospective study was conducted on 100 women with a competitive endurance sports background and their age-matched, gender-matched and municipality-matched controls (n=98). Data were collected using a questionnaire using previously validated instruments. Generalised estimating equations were used to calculate associations of menstrual history and eating behaviours with outcome variables (career length, participation level, injury-related harms and career termination due to injury).Results Athletes reported higher rates of delayed puberty and menstrual dysfunction than controls. No differences between the groups were observed in the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire short form (EDE-QS) scores at any age. Previous disordered eating (DE) was associated with current DE in both groups. Among athletes, higher EDE-QS scores during the sports career were associated with a shorter career (B=−0.15, 95% CI −0.26 to –0.05). Secondary amenorrhoea was associated with lower participation level (OR 0.51, 95% CI 0.27 to 0.95), injury-related harms during the career (OR 4.00, 95% CI 1.88 to 8.48) and career termination due to injury (OR 1.89, 95% CI 1.02 to 3.51).Conclusion The findings indicate that DE behaviours and menstrual dysfunction, specifically secondary amenorrhoea, have a disadvantageous relationship with a sports career in women competing in endurance sports. DE during the sports career is associated with DE after the career.https://bmjopensem.bmj.com/content/9/1/e001489.full |
| spellingShingle | Urho M Kujala Jari Parkkari Maarit Valtonen Elina Holopainen Silja Kosola Suvi Ravi Johanna K Ihalainen Saara Heinonen Ben Waller Eating behaviours, menstrual history and the athletic career: a retrospective survey from adolescence to adulthood in female endurance athletes BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine |
| title | Eating behaviours, menstrual history and the athletic career: a retrospective survey from adolescence to adulthood in female endurance athletes |
| title_full | Eating behaviours, menstrual history and the athletic career: a retrospective survey from adolescence to adulthood in female endurance athletes |
| title_fullStr | Eating behaviours, menstrual history and the athletic career: a retrospective survey from adolescence to adulthood in female endurance athletes |
| title_full_unstemmed | Eating behaviours, menstrual history and the athletic career: a retrospective survey from adolescence to adulthood in female endurance athletes |
| title_short | Eating behaviours, menstrual history and the athletic career: a retrospective survey from adolescence to adulthood in female endurance athletes |
| title_sort | eating behaviours menstrual history and the athletic career a retrospective survey from adolescence to adulthood in female endurance athletes |
| url | https://bmjopensem.bmj.com/content/9/1/e001489.full |
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