Firoozjah Morteza Homayounnia, Shahrbanian Shahnaz, Homayouni Alireza, Hower Heather
Department of Physical Education, Farhangian University, Tarbiat Moalem Street, Tehran, Iran.
Department of Sport Science, Faculty of Humanities, Tarbiat Modares University, Jalal Al Ahmad Street, Tehran, Iran.
J Eat Disord. 2022 Aug 12;10(1):119. doi: 10.1186/s40337-022-00644-4.
COVID-19 has significantly disrupted the routines of school sports for adolescent athletes, which can affect their usual eating behaviors and body image. Specific pressures of individual sports (which tend to emphasize "leanness" as a means to improving performance), versus team sports (which tend to not require "leanness" for an athlete to be competitive), may further increase the risk of disordered eating (DE), eating disorders (ED), and distorted body image. An additional factor to consider is the gender of the athletes, with participation in "lean" sports associated with increased DE and body dissatisfaction for male, but not female, athletes.
Participants of the study included 124 Iranian male adolescent athletes residing in Mazandaran province (one of the most affected areas of Iran during COVID-19), who played in 1 of 6 sports (3 individual, 3 team). ED symptoms were assessed by the Eating Attitudes Test-26 (EAT-26), and body image was assessed by the Body-Esteem Scale for Adolescents and Adults (BESAA).
The individual athlete group (n = 62) had significantly higher EAT-26 subscale scores for Bulimia and Food Preoccupation (p = 0.019), as well as significantly higher BESAA subscale scores for Appearance (p = 0.001), Weight (p = 0.001), and Attribution (p = 0.001), compared to the team athlete group (n = 62). However, there were no significant differences between the two athlete groups on the EAT-26 Dieting and Oral Control subscales.
COVID-19 presents specialized issues for adolescent athletes, particularly those at risk for, or experiencing, DE, ED, and distorted body image. While individual athletes had significantly higher scores than team athletes on most subscales, there were no differences between groups on subscales of dieting and oral control. Overall, the findings highlight the need for sport psychologists, coaches, and other sports professionals working with male adolescent athletes (individual and team) to monitor DE, ED, and distorted body image during COVID-19, in order to provide early intervention, and mitigate the risk of long-term consequences. COVID-19 has significantly disrupted the routines of school sports for adolescent athletes, which can affect their usual eating behaviors and body image. Specific pressures of individual sports (which tend to emphasize "leanness" as a means to improving performance), versus team sports (which tend to not require "leanness" for an athlete to be competitive), may further increase the risk of disordered eating (DE), eating disorders (ED), and distorted body image. An additional factor to consider is the gender of the athletes, with participation in "lean" sports associated with increased DE and body dissatisfaction for male, but not female, athletes. Participants of the study included 124 Iranian male adolescent athletes in Mazandaran province (one of the most affected areas of Iran during COVID-19), who played in 1 of 6 sports (3 individual, 3 team). The individual athlete group (62 participants) had significantly higher scores on measures of ED (Bulimia, Food Preoccupation), and body image (Appearance, Weight, Attribution), versus the team athlete group (62 participants). However, there were no significant differences between groups on other measures of ED (Dieting, Oral Control). Findings highlight the need for sport professionals working with adolescent athletes to monitor DE and body image during COVID-19 for early intervention.
新冠疫情严重扰乱了青少年运动员的学校体育活动常规，这可能会影响他们日常的饮食行为和身体形象认知。个人项目运动（往往强调“瘦”是提高成绩的一种方式）与团队项目运动（运动员具有竞争力往往不需要“瘦”）的特定压力，可能会进一步增加饮食失调（DE）、进食障碍（ED）和身体形象认知扭曲的风险。另一个需要考虑的因素是运动员的性别，参与“瘦身”运动与男性运动员饮食失调和身体不满情绪增加有关，但与女性运动员无关。
该研究的参与者包括124名居住在马赞德兰省（伊朗在新冠疫情期间受影响最严重的地区之一）的伊朗男性青少年运动员，他们参与6项运动中的一项（3项个人项目，3项团队项目）。通过饮食态度测试-26（EAT-26）评估进食障碍症状，通过青少年及成人身体自尊量表（BESAA）评估身体形象认知。
与团队运动员组（n = 62）相比，个人项目运动员组（n = 62）在贪食和食物关注方面的EAT-26子量表得分显著更高（p = 0.019），在外表（p = 0.001）、体重（p = 0.001）和归因（p = 0.001）方面的BESAA子量表得分也显著更高。然而，两组运动员在EAT-26节食和口腔控制子量表上没有显著差异。
新冠疫情给青少年运动员带来了特殊问题，尤其是那些有饮食失调、进食障碍和身体形象认知扭曲风险或正在经历这些问题的运动员。虽然个人项目运动员在大多数子量表上的得分显著高于团队项目运动员，但在节食和口腔控制子量表上两组之间没有差异。总体而言，研究结果凸显了与男性青少年运动员（个人项目和团队项目）合作的运动心理学家、教练和其他体育专业人员在新冠疫情期间监测饮食失调、进食障碍和身体形象认知扭曲情况的必要性，以便进行早期干预，并降低长期后果风险。新冠疫情严重扰乱了青少年运动员的学校体育活动常规，这可能会影响他们日常的饮食行为和身体形象认知。个人项目运动（往往强调“瘦”是提高成绩的一种方式）与团队项目运动（运动员具有竞争力往往不需要“瘦”）的特定压力，可能会进一步增加饮食失调（DE）、进食障碍（ED）和身体形象认知扭曲的风险。另一个需要考虑的因素是运动员的性别，参与“瘦身”运动与男性运动员饮食失调和身体不满情绪增加有关，但与女性运动员无关。该研究的参与者包括124名马赞德兰省的伊朗男性青少年运动员（伊朗在新冠疫情期间受影响最严重的地区之一），他们参与6项运动中的一项（3项个人项目，3项团队项目）。与团队项目运动员组（62名参与者）相比，个人项目运动员组（62名参与者）在进食障碍（贪食、食物关注）和身体形象（外表、体重、归因）测量方面得分显著更高。然而，在进食障碍的其他测量方面（节食、口腔控制）两组之间没有显著差异。研究结果凸显了与青少年运动员合作的体育专业人员在新冠疫情期间监测饮食失调和身体形象认知以便进行早期干预的必要性。
