Exploration of Eating in Collegiate Athletes and Potential Mediators and Moderators
Alternative Title
Abstract
The goal of this study was to assess the relationship between aspects of college athleticism and disordered eating, including self-esteem, perceived pressure to perform, and body satisfaction as potential moderators and mediators. The reason for this study is to invest in college athletes’ mental health, specifically involving problems, like disordered eating, which they could be at a higher risk because of the nature and intensity. This study is also important because it gives a broader meaning to disordered eating, including more than the drive to be thin, by taking into account drive for muscularity and obsession with health as part of potential disordered eating, which gives voice to problems not commonly thought of including muscle dysmorphic disorder and orthorexia disorder tendencies. The underrepresentation of males when it comes to disordered eating is also addressed. The threat of underrepresentation is not only inaccuracy, but a lack of attention given to those who may be struggling. Within this study we explore whether the type of sport, gender of the sport, variation in team or individual performance in sport, or individual’s rank impacted disordered eating behaviors. Self-esteem was explored as a potential moderator between rank and disordered eating; felt pressure to perform was explored as a potential moderator between an individual or team sport and disordered eating; and body dissatisfaction was explored as a mediator between gender of the sport and disordered eating. These questions were assessed through a survey of Alma College athletes. The methods of the study involve a survey that takes up to 30 minutes, taken by Alma College athletes participating on an official NCAA Alma College team. It is expected that disordered eating will be higher among athletes that participate in an aesthetic or weight-dependent sport, have a lower rank on the team moderated by self-esteem. A difference between men’s and women’s sports with body satisfaction as a mediator, and differences between dissatisfaction, is also anticipated.