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Eating disorders in Swedish female elite athletes – coaches’ knowledge and practice in identification and management

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Author

  • Paulina Nowicka
  • J Sundgot-Borgen
  • Erwin Apitzsch

Editor

  • G Patriksson

Summary, in English

The issue of weight preoccupation and eating disorders are receiving growing interest in the sport environment. Success in some sports requires an extremely lean appearance, which may lead to pressure from coaches and parents to be thin. Other sports use weight classifications that determine in which group an athlete will compete, requiring him/her to drop several kilos before competition. The aim of the study was to investigate the coaches’ role in identification and management of eating disorders in elite female athletes. Eighteen elite coaches representing three sport groups were interviewed: aesthetic sports (n=5), weight class sports (n=7) and endurance sports (n=6). Mean coaching experience was 17 years. The results of this study revealed that coaches’ knowledge of symptoms of eating disorders was limited, especially bulimia. Many coaches considered knowledge of eating disorders as the least important skill in relation to nutrition and weight regulation.

Publishing year

2004

Language

English

Publication/Series

SVEBIS årsbok. Aktuell beteendevetenskaplig idrottsforskning 2004

Document type

Book chapter

Publisher

SVEBI (Svensk förening för beteendevetenskaplig idrottsforskning )

Topic

  • Pediatrics

Status

Published

Research group

  • Preventive Paediatrics

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 0284-4672