Body image and eating disorders symptoms among Icelandic athletes

Purpose: The aim of this study was to examine body image concerns and eating disorders symptoms among Icelandic athletes, 18 years and older. Method: The sample consisted of 1113 athletes, 376 males and 737 females. The athletes represented 20 different sports, which were divided into 5 sport groups: aesthetic, ball game, endurance, weight class and fitness sports. The Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ) was used to assess body shape concerns and weight-preoccupation among the athletes. Bulimia Test-Revised (BULIT-R) was used to assess the main symptoms of bulimia and Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) was used to identify disordered eating attitudes and behaviors among the athletes. Results: Body dissatisfaction was significantly correlated with disordered eating behaviors in both male and female athletes (p < .001). Overall, 17.6% of the athletes reported moderate to severe symptoms of body dissatisfaction. Female athletes were more concerned about eating disorder attitudes and behavior than male athletes, with 24.7% scoring above cut-off. Compared to other sport groups, female athletes in aesthetic sports and male athletes in weight class sports reported, on average, more symptoms of eating disorders and body shape concerns. Conclusion: These findings demonstrate the need to investigate these factors more closely, and promote education to sport clubs, coaches and most importantly, athletes, about these negative aspects of sports. Keywords: eating disorders, body image, athletes, adult, males, females, sport groups