Table 2.
Comparison of DE prevalence in athletes of sports classified by activity type. “+” indicates activity type defined as lean
| Author | Population | Sport Grouping | Measures/Analysis | Results | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Krentz et al., 2013 [6] | Adolescent athletes from elite sports schools and Olympic training centers (n = 65) | +Aesthetic: gymnastics, ice/roller figure skating, ballet, and rhythmic gymnastics | Athletes were administered the Emotional Element of Exercise questionnaire. Results were then analyzed using ANOVA. | DE in males was measured to significantly decrease over time of one year, while females remained constant | Aesthetic sports have higher prevalence of DE in females versus males |
| Krentz et al., 2011 [9] | Elite athletes (n = 96) vs Control (n = 96) with a mean age of 14.0 years | +Aesthetic vs Control | Cross-sectional study where athletes were administered the EAT-26. Results were then analyzed using ANOVA. | Aesthetic athletes had higher prevalence of DE vs control (p < 0.03); female athletes had higher prevalence of DE than male athletes (p < 0.001) | Aesthetic sports had higher prevalence of DE; females had higher prevalence of DE than males, but both had similar rate of increased prevalence when compared to a control |
| Chatterton et al., 2013 [31] | United States male college athletes of various levels, mean age 19.91 years (n = 732) | +Endurance, +weight-dependent, ball game | Athletes were administered the Questionnaire for Eating Disorder Diagnosis (Q-EDD). Results were then analyzed using X2 analysis. | Weight-dependent sports (44.2%) had higher prevalence of DE than Endurance (12.8%) and Ball Game (16.7%) sports (p < 0.001) | Strong correlation between male weight-dependent sports and higher prevalence of DE |
| Kampouri et al., 2019 [32] | Greek elite female athletes mean age of 23.10 (n = 129) and female non-athletes (n = 46) |
Ball Sport vs Non-Athlete 53 Basketball 42 Volleyball 34 Water Polo 46 Non-athletes |
Athletes were administered the Eating Disorders Questionnaire (EDE-Q). Results about inter-sport difference were analyzed using ANOVA. | Using the EC subscale Water Polo athletes had higher scores than basketball or volleyball (p < 0.05) | Water polo had higher prevalence of DE, while other ball sports did not. |
| Rosendahl et al., 2009 [30] | German athletes (n = 576) and non-athletes aged 14–18 (n = 291) |
Lean (n = 228) vs Non-lean (n = 245) +Endurance, +Aesthetic, +Weight-Dependent, +Antigravitation, Technical, Ball Game, Power |
Athletes were administered the EAT-26 questionnaire. Results were then analyzed using logistic regression, unpaired t-test and X2 analysis. | Sport types with significant increase in DE were “Antigravitation” when comparing males and “Power” when comparing females. | Power and Antigravitation sports correlate with higher prevalence of DE depending on gender |