Social physique anxiety and Q-EDD based disordered eating in female aesthetic athletes

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine social physique anxiety (SPA) and disordered eating in female aesthetic athletes. Participants included 144 female competitive athletes (M = 19.0 years, SD = 2.08) from the four aesthetic sports of synchronized swimming, figure skating, jazz dance, and gymnastics. The participants completed the SPA scale (SPAS) and the Questionnaire for Eating Disorder Diagnoses (Q-EDD) (which is a new more accurate measure to assess disordered eating) that has not previously been used with female aesthetic athletes. Results revealed that 59.7% of the participants were classified in the asymptomatic category, 29.9% in the symptomatic category, and 10.4% in the eating disordered category. For the two Q-EDD subcategories, there were no participants classified in the chew/spitting category, and three participants classified in the exercise bulimia nervosa category. Also, it was shown that the eating disordered group and the symptomatic group had significantly higher SPA than the asymptomatic group. Thus, these results indicate that in this subpopulation of athletes, there are many who display eating disorder symptomatology, and suggest that interventions that target SPA and disordered eating in these athletes are needed.