Triggers of Eating Disorders in Athletes

NCT06518954 | Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: 734444
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 30
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 2

Brief Summary

Over the past 30 years, a high prevalence of eating disorders in sports has been repeatedly documented, yet few preventive measures have been implemented. While most studies explore risk factors through quantitative means, few have investigated how athletes themselves experience the triggering elements in sports and how they perceive these triggers could be better managed. Another persistent question is why some athletes from a given sport and environment develop eating disorders while others do not. This study explore the experienced triggers reported by athletes who have struggled with eating disorders and compare them to the perspectives of athletes without eating disorders from the same environment. The study also aim to gather perceptions from both groups on how eating disorders and body dissatisfaction could be better addressed and prevented in sports.

Conditions

Eating Disorders

Keywords

athlete; sport; health; illness; mental illness; eating disorder; relative energy deficiency in sport; REDs; low energy availability; LEA; body dissatisfaction; body appearance pressure; body ideal

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (4)

• Timing of eating disorder symptoms

  Question asking about when the eating disorder first started (age, performance period and level)

  August-December 2024

• Cause to development of eating disorders

  Question asking about what the athlete think triggered the eating disorder. comparing responses from the athlete WITH an eating disorder to the thoughts of the athlete without an eating disorder.

  August-December 2024

• Knowledge on the eating disorder

  Did the others in the team know about the eating disorder experienced by one of the athletes What did they observe, how did they respond or think about it, how did it affect the suffering athlete if she/he knew the others knew/did not knew.

  August-December 2024

• Preventive measures

  Question on what can be done to prevent eating disorders in sport. How can we better prevent eating disorders in sport; what needs to be done, what must be changed.

  August-December 2024

Secondary Outcomes (3)

• Background variable, current symptoms of eating disorder

  August-December 2024

• Background variable, family history

  August-December 2024

• Background variable, other interests and identity

  August-December 2024

Study Arms (2)

Athlete with eating disorder

Athletes with/with a history of eating disorder while competing in sport

Other: Interview

Athlete without eating disorder

Athletes without any history of eating disorder and originating from the same club or team as the athlete with an eating disorder

Other: Interview

Interventions

Interview OTHER

The athletes contributes with experience exchange through individual interviews, following a interview template

Athlete with eating disorder; Athlete without eating disorder

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 16 Years - 50 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64)
• Sampling Method: Probability Sample

Study Population

Athletes are recruited that has a past or current eating disorder, who will also suggest control individuals from the same sports team who have not had an eating disorder and can be invited to the study. These controls will serve as a comparable reference group regarding specific sports/team culture and nuances of personal experiences.

You may qualify if:

• previous/current competitive career in sport
• cohort 1: athlete with an/with a history of an eating disorder
• cohort 2: athlete from the same club without an eating disorder

You may not qualify if:

• disabled athletes
• not competitive athlete (below Tier 3)

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Ostfold University College: lead
• Norwegian School of Sport Sciences: collaborator

Study Sites (2)

Østfold University College

Fredrikstad, 1671, Norway

RECRUITING

Norwegian School of Sport Sciences

Oslo, 0806, Norway

RECRUITING

Related Publications (1)

• Sundgot-Borgen J. Prevalence of eating disorders in elite female athletes. Int J Sport Nutr. 1993 Mar;3(1):29-40. doi: 10.1123/ijsn.3.1.29.

  PMID: 8499936 BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Feeding and Eating Disorders; Mental Disorders; Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport

Interventions

Interviews as Topic

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Signs and Symptoms, Digestive; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Data Collection; Epidemiologic Methods; Investigative Techniques; Health Care Evaluation Mechanisms; Quality of Health Care; Health Care Quality, Access, and Evaluation; Public Health; Environment and Public Health

Study Officials

• Therese F Mathisen, PhD

  Associate Professor

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Therese F Mathisen, PhD

CONTACT

+4795752818; therese.f.mathisen@hiof.no

Jorunn K Sundgot-Borgen, PhD

CONTACT

+4792241745; jorunn.sundgot-borgen@nih.no

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: CASE CONTROL
• Time Perspective: RETROSPECTIVE
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Associate Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: July 19, 2024
• First Posted: July 25, 2024
• Study Start: November 15, 2024
• Primary Completion: December 30, 2025
• Study Completion: December 30, 2025
• Last Updated: September 12, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-09

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

NO (2)