Investigating the Prevalence of Eating Disorders and Menstrual Irregularities in Female Athletes

As the number of female athletes participating in sport and recreational activities increases, inadequate diet plans and severe caloric deficiencies may irreparably damage their health. According to DSM IV, eating disorders refer to a situation where eating habits and eating-related behaviors are violated. Individuals with high fat percentage have good reasons for physical dissatisfaction or drive for thinness. Accordingly, they may tend to reduce their weight without holding consultation and following instructions. The present study aims at investigating the prevalence of eating disorders and menstrual irregularities in female athletes. Eating Disorder Inventory 2 (EDI-2) was used to investigate eating disorder behaviors in the participants. A self-report questionnaire was used to collect the data on the participantsʹ individual characteristics. The results showed that there is a significant difference in eating disorders between team- and individual-sport athletes. However, there was no significant relationship between sport participation history and menstrual status in the athletes. Adequate instruction, obtaining information on eating disorders, providing a sound perception of common eating disorder behaviors as well as designing patterns and diet plans for both female athletes and non-athletes may prevent the complications of eating disorders.