Evaluation of a screening test to detect female college athletes with eating disorders and disordered eating

Deborah Lynn Nagel, Purdue University

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to develop a screening test to detect female college athletes with eating disorders/disordered eating (ED/DE). Athletes are confronted with unique weight management and performance achievement factors that may make them more vulnerable to ED/DE. Currently, there are no validated ED screening tests available for athletes that are quick and non-invasive. Many items in current tests are not appropriate for athletes, are false markers, and jeopardize chances of detecting an athlete with a possible ED. This study utilized a new test, the Athletic Milieu Direct Questionnaire (AMDQ) and 2 valid tests normed for the general population, the Eating Disorder Inventory-2 (EDI-2) and the Bulimia Test-Revised (BULIT-R). A diagnostic interview also was used to determine which test would be most effective in identifying athletes with ED/DE. Subjects included 149 female volunteer Division I and select club athletes between 18–25 years old. The teams assessed included basketball, cheerleading, dance company, modern dance, golf, gymnastics, softball, swimming, tennis, track, cross country, and volleyball. Thirty-five percent of the sample (n = 52) were classified as ED/DE. Sixty-five percent of these subjects were classified as DE (n = 34), 25% bulimic (n = 13), 8% ED Not Otherwise Specified (NOS, n = 4), and 2% (n = 1) anorexic. ED/DE subjects were found across almost every sport. Results supported the hypothesis that the AMDQ would more accurately identify ED/DE than either the EDI-2 or BULIT-R. The AMDQ had a sensitivity of 80% and specificity of 77%; both values being superior to the two other tests. Results also confirm that ED'd athletes are indeed a unique population, not merely a subset of the general population with ED and as such, require a screening test which is specific for the athlete population, such as the AMDQ. Once validated, it is recommended that the AMDQ be utilized by athletic personnel to screen for ED/DE so that problems may be identified early (e.g., identification of athletes at the DE or NOS stage), and interventions initiated before the problem becomes more serious.

Degree

Ph.D.

Advisors

Black, Purdue University.

Subject Area

Health education|Educational evaluation|Educational psychology|Womens studies

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