Table 1.
Demographic characteristics and responses to exercise and eating concerns
| Sport school students (n = 257) | Fitness members (n = 127) | Eating disorder patients (n = 87) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ANOVA | Mean (SD) | Mean (SD) | Mean (SD) |
| Mean age in years | 15.8 (1.3) | 17.6 (1.4) | 15.8 (2.3) |
| BMI mean | 21.3 (2.4) | 22.0 (2.5) | 18.2 (4.1) |
| BMI percentile mean | 74.3 (22.3) | 72.3 (23.7) | 32.9 (34.3) |
| Weekly exercise amounts | 9.0 (1.8) | 8.2 (2.0) | 4.8 (3.2) |
| EAI-Y total score | 18.1 (3.3) | 18.9 (3.7) | 16.9 (6.8) |
| SCOFF total score | 0.8 (1.0) | 1.3 (1.3) | 2.6 (1.4) |
| Chi-square | Percent (number) | Percent (number) | Percent (number) |
| Exercise in spite of pain + injury | 34.9 (89 of 255) | 42.5 (54 of 127) | 24.1 (21 of 87) |
| Feeling guilty when not exercising | 41.0 (105 of 256) | 63.8 (81 of 127) | 51.7 (45 of 87) |
| Eating less to regulate weight | 17.6 (45 of 256) | 30.7 (39 of 127) | 37.9 (33 of 87) |
| Reduced performance due to excessive exercise | 4.7 (12 of 254) | 3.9 (5 of 127) | 6.9 (6 of 87) |
| Reduced performance due to weight loss | 2.4 (6 of 255) | 3.2 (4 of 126) | 28.7 (23 of 80) |
| SCOFF 1: vomit to compensate | 8.2 (21 of 256) | 11.8 (15 of 127) | 32.9 (27 of 82) |
| SCOFF 2: loss of control over eating | 12.9 (33 of 256) | 21.4 (27 of 126) | 61.0 (50 of 82) |
| SCOFF 3: weight loss | 5.1 (13 of 254) | 14.2 (18 of 127) | 40.2 (33 of 82) |
| SCOFF 4: feeling fat though thin | 32.8 (84 of 256) | 46.5 (59 of 127) | 65.9 (54 of 82) |
| SCOFF 5: food dominates life | 19.6 (50 of 255) | 34.1 (43 of 126) | 58.0 (47 of 81) |
Note. BMI: body mass index; EAI-Y: Exercise Addiction Inventory for youth; SCOFF: eating disorder screening tool; ANOVA: analysis of variance; SD: standard deviation.