Triggers of Eating Disorders in Athletes
ConditionEating Disorders
Trial statusRecruiting
Trial phaseNot listed
Trial typeObservational
Biological sexAll
Age16-50
SponsorOstfold University College
About this trial
Over the past 30 years, a high prevalence of eating disorders in sports has been repeatedly documented, yet few preventive measures have been implemented. While most studies explore risk factors through quantitative means, few have investigated how athletes themselves experience the triggering elements in sports and how they perceive these triggers could be better managed. Another persistent question is why some athletes from a given sport and environment develop eating disorders while others do not. This study explore the experienced triggers reported by athletes who have struggled with eating disorders and compare them to the perspectives of athletes without eating disorders from the same environment. The study also aim to gather perceptions from both groups on how eating disorders and body dissatisfaction could be better addressed and prevented in sports.
Eligibility criteria
This trial accepts healthy volunteersQualifiers
previous/current competitive career in sport
cohort 1: athlete with an/with a history of an eating disorder
cohort 2: athlete from the same club without an eating disorder
Disqualifiers
disabled athletes
not competitive athlete (below Tier 3)
Trial population
Athletes are recruited that has a past or current eating disorder, who will also suggest control individuals from the same sports team who have not had an eating disorder and can be invited to the study. These controls will serve as a comparable reference group regarding specific sports/team culture and nuances of personal experiences.
Trial design
Design model
Case-control
Time perspective
Retrospective
Treatments tested in this trial
Interview
Other interventionThe athletes contributes with experience exchange through individual interviews, following a interview template
Treatment groups
30 Participants
are divided into 2 treatment groupsGroup A: Athlete with eating disorder1 intervention
Group B: Athlete without eating disorder1 intervention
Trial outcomes
Primary outcomes
1
Timing of eating disorder symptoms
Question asking about when the eating disorder first started (age, performance period and level)
Time frame
August-December 20242
Cause to development of eating disorders
Question asking about what the athlete think triggered the eating disorder. comparing responses from the athlete WITH an eating disorder to the thoughts of the athlete without an eating disorder.
Time frame
August-December 20243
Knowledge on the eating disorder
Did the others in the team know about the eating disorder experienced by one of the athletes What did they observe, how did they respond or think about it, how did it affect the suffering athlete if she/he knew the others knew/did not knew.
Time frame
August-December 20244
Preventive measures
Question on what can be done to prevent eating disorders in sport. How can we better prevent eating disorders in sport; what needs to be done, what must be changed.
Time frame
August-December 2024Secondary outcomes
1
Background variable, current symptoms of eating disorder
Eating disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) by Prof. Fairburn. A validated questionnaire to measure symptom severity of eating disorders.
Time frame
August-December 20242
Background variable, family history
Have others in the family been diagnosed with an eating disorder (genetics), have others in the family competed in sport (environmental factors)
Time frame
August-December 20243
Background variable, other interests and identity
Have you had interests that you have invested time in, other than sport?
Time frame
August-December 2024Sponsors and contacts
Click on the lead sponsor to view all of their trials.
Ostfold University College
Lead sponsor
Norwegian School of Sport Sciences
Collaborator
Source ClinicalTrials.gov