IADMS Madrid 2001   [back to the Category]

University dance major’s knowledge of female athlete triad...   [read the french version]

Author :   P.K. Doyle-Baker, PhD & al.

Saturday 3 November 2001
10:45 – 10:55 am Room 1

University dance major’s knowledge of female athlete triad, health status and exercise habits

P.K. Doyle-Baker, PhD, Anne Flynn, Anna Mouat, Faculty of Kinesiology, Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada

The purpose of this study was to document the knowledge of the female triad and to determine the energy balance (energy intake minus total energy expenditure), and occurrence of restrictive eating, in 23 University of Calgary students (mean age of 20.4 ± 3.0 yr., weight 59.3 ± 6.6 kg, and height 166.6 ± 5.1 cm) enrolled in the unique four year Bachelor of Arts Degree in Dance over two university semesters. The tools used were: Eating Disorder Inventory-2 (EDI-2), the EDI-2 Symptom Checklist, the Athlete Triad, and the Health Status Surveys, the 3-day nutritional and 7-day activity analysis; and the indices of Fat Free Mass, Body Fat%, Fat Mass, and Muscle Mass. Calorie distribution revealed 14% protein, 61% carbohydrates, and 26% fats, with a daily caloric intake of 1697 ± 492 kcal (819-2814) during the first semester, and 16% protein, 57% carbohydrates, and 28% fats, with a daily caloric intake of 1713 ± 505 (516-2394) during the second semester. Self-report activity records revealed a total energy expenditure of 3093 ± 578 kcal (2149-4477) during the first semester, and 3156 ± 513 kcal (2187-4336) during the second semester, resulting in a negative energy balance both semesters (-1415 ± 801 kcal; -1463 ± 838 kcal, respectively.) In the group 22% reported previous stress fractures, 41% experienced menstrual disturbances, and 22% had practiced some form of restrictive eating at one point in their lifetime. The highest mean scores for EDI-2 were drive for thinness (7.2, 61.9 %ile; 6.7, 58.7 %ile), perfectionism (6.5, 58.3 %ile; 5.9, 55.4 %ile), and body dissatisfaction (11.9, 57.5 %ile; 12.6, 59.5 %ile) for both semesters, respectively.