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. 2022 Feb 25;14(5):986. doi: 10.3390/nu14050986

Table 4.

A summary of validated screening tools used to identify those at risk for low energy availability, eating disorders, female athlete triad, or body dissatisfaction.

Author Year Name of Tool/Metric Primary Focus Direct or
Indirect
Target Population
Low Energy Availability
Loucks 1994, 2011 [6,27] Energy Availability Assessment Energy availability Direct All athletes
Melin 2014 [12] Low Energy Availability in Females Questionnaire (LEAF-Q) Identify those at risk of LEA Indirect Adult female athletes
Slater 2016 [130] Low Energy Availability
Amongst New Zealand Athletes
(LEANZA) questionnaire
Identify those at risk of LEA Indirect Adult female athletes
Heikura 2021 [131] Lab markers (i.e., T3, T4, LH, hepcidin, Testosterone, etc.) Identify biomarkers that may indicate risk of LEA Indirect Female and male athletes
Staal 2018 [23] Resting Metabolic Rate Ratio Identify those at risk of LEA via suppressed metabolic rate Indirect Female ballet dancers
Eating Disorders
Black 2003 [132] The Bulimia Test-Revised Screening test designed to assess bulimia-type characteristics Indirect Female athletes
Garner 1982 [133] Eating Attitudes Test (EAT) Screening tool for anorexia nervosa Indirect Adult females
Berg 2012 [134] Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire Self-reported questionnaire for the assessment and diagnoses of the DSM-IV eating disorders Indirect Adult females
Garner 2004 [135] Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI-3) Self-reported measure for identifying eating disorder patterns and associated psychological constructs Indirect Valid in individuals
aged 13 to 53 years for identifying disordered eating
patterns and has high reliability (Cronbach a mean = 0.94,
range = 0.90–0.97)
Kennedy 2021 [136] Disordered Eating Screening Tool for Athletes (DESA-6) Screening tool for disordered eating Indirect Adolescent athletes
Martinsen 2014 [137] Brief Eating Disorder in Athletes Questionnaire (BEDA-Q) Brief questionnaire able to discriminate between female elite athletes with and without an eating disorder Indirect High school female athletes
McNulty 2001 [138] Female Athlete Screening Tool (FAST) Screening tool to identify eating disorders Indirect Collegiate female athletes
Nagel 2000 [139] Athletic Milieu Direct
Questionnaire (AMDQ) version 2
Screening tool to identify eating disorders Indirect Female athletes
Stice 2004 [140] Eating Disorder Diagnostic Scale A brief self-report measure for diagnosing anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder Indirect Adolescent, collegiate, and adult females
Female Athlete Triad
Otis 1997 [141] Menstrual Cycle Used to assess delayed menarche, menstrual irregularities or amenorrhea Direct Female athletes
Otis 1997 [141] Bone Mineral Density Low BMC or BMD * is defined as a BMC or areal BMD Z-score that is ≤−2.0, adjusted for age, gender and body size, as appropriate. [142]
* American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) defines low BMC or BMD as a Z-score that is less than −1.0 in female athletes in weight-bearing sports
Direct Multiple populations
Otis 1997 [141] Eating Disorder (see above examples: FAST. AMDQ, DESA-6, EAT, EDI-3, BEDA-Q) See above examples Indirect
Body Image/Dissatisfaction
Orbach 1998 [143] Body Image Investment Scale Identify those at risk for body image issues Indirect Boys and girls (age: 13–19 years) 3–19 years
Garner 2004 [135] Eating Disorder Inventory-3 subscale c: body dissatisfaction Identify risk factors for eating disorder associated with body dissatisfaction Indirect Valid in individuals
aged 13 to 53 years for identifying disordered eating
patterns and has high reliability (Cronbach a mean = 0.94,
range = 0.90–0.97)
Sandoz 2013 [144]
Lucena-Santos 2017 [145]
The Body Image-Acceptance and Action Questionnaire Evaluates body image flexibility and dissatisfaction Indirect Females
Cash 1995 [146] Body-Image Ideals Questionnaire Attitudinal body-image assessment that considers physical attributes Indirect Female college students
Cash 2004 [147] Body Image Disturbance Questionnaire Assessed body image disturbance Indirect Male and female college students
Kong 2013 [7] Figure Rating Scale Identify body satisfaction and views on body shape Indirect Female athletes
Cooper 1987 [148]
Goltz 2013 [149]
Body Shape Questionnaire Identify concerns associated with body image Indirect Young men and women, athletes and non-athletes

LH = Luteinizing hormone, T3 = Triiodothyronine; T4 = Thyroxine.