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PRACTICAL
SIGNIFICANCE
This
prevalence
of
individual
components
of the
Female
Athlete
Triad
was
alarmingly
high
among
this
sample
of high
school
athletes
(N=589).
We
recommend
that
coaches,
athletic
trainers,
parents,
and
athletes
work
together
to
recognize
its
symptoms
and
prevent
its
development.
STUDY
BACKGROUND
Several
studies
of the
Female
Athlete
Triad
have
been
reported
for
college
athletes,
but the
prevalence
of this
syndrome
among
high
school
athletes
is
unknown.
Given
that the
majority
of
college
athletes
with
disordered
eating
behaviors
and
menstrual
irregularity
report
that
these
conditions
began
during
adolescence,
investigations
of the
triad
are
needed
in
younger
athletes,
especially
in light
of the
rapidly
growing
participation
and
competitive
nature
of high
school
athletics.
OBJECTIVE
The
purpose
of this
study
was to
determine
the
prevalence
of the
female
athlete
triad
syndrome
among
high
school
athletes
representing
multiple
sports.
DESIGN
AND
SETTING
This was
an
observational
study
where
data
were
collected
in 6
high
schools
in San
Diego
County,
CA.
SUBJECTS
Fine
hundred
eighty-nine
female
high
school
athletes
(age
15.3 ±
1.7 yr;
height
165 ± 7
cm; mass
59.4 ±
8.9 kg)
representing
10
interscholastic
sports
including:
cross-country
running,
track &
field,
soccer,
basketball,
volleyball,
swimming,
tennis,
softball,
lacrosse
and
field
hockey
participated
in this
study.
MEASUREMENTS
Questionnaires
for
disordered
eating
behaviors
(EDE-Q),
menstrual
history/status,
and
sport
participation;
bone
mass by
DXA
(n=170).
RESULTS
The
percentages
of
athletes
classified
at risk
were as
follows:
disordered
eating
(DE):
17.8%;
Menstrual
irregularity
(MI):
22.4%;
low bone
mineral
density:
22.2%.
Moreover,
10
(5.7%)
of the
girls
met two
of the
three
criteria
for the
triad;
whereas,
only two
girls
(1.1%)
met all
three
criteria.
In a
related
sub-study
in which
lean-build
(LB)
athletes
were
compared
to
non-lean-build
(NLB),
the
prevalence
of MI
was
higher
in LB
(26.7%)
than NLB
(16.6%)
athletes
(P=0.01).
Further,
athletes
with DE
were
over two
times
more
likely
(OR=2.3,
95%CI:
1.3,
4.2) to
report
oligo/amenorrhea
than
athletes
without
DE.
CONCLUSIONS
The data
suggest
the need
for
screening
female
high
school
athletes
for
disordered
eating
behaviors
and
menstrual
irregularities.
Interventions
are
needed
to
prevent
the long
term
health
consequences
associated
with the
Female
Athlete
Triad
Syndrome.
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Publication
&
Presentation
List:
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Nichols JF, Rauh MJ, Lawson MJ, Ji M, Barkai HS. Prevalence of the female athlete triad among high school athletes. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2006;160: 137-142.
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Nichols, JF, Rauh MJ, Barrack MT, Barkai HS, Pernick Y. Disordered eating and menstrual irregularity in high school athletes: Comparisons among lean and non-lean-build sports. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2007;17:364-377
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Barkai S, Nichols JF, Rauh MJ, Ji M. Influence of sport participation and menarche on bone mineral density in female high school athletes. J Sci Med Sport. 2007;10:170-179.
- Nichols, JF, Rauh MJ, Barrack MT, Barkai HS. Bone mineral density in female high school athletes: Interactions of menstrual function and type of mechanical loading. Bone. 2007;41:371-377.
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Jeanne F. Nichols. PhD, FACSM
Principal Investigator
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Dr. Jeanne Nichols is Professor of Exercise and Nutritional Sciences and Co-Director of the Center for Optimal Health and Performance at San Diego State University. Dr. Nichols’ research focus is on exercise and bone health, primarily among adolescent athletes. Her professional memberships include Fellow status with the American College of Sports Medicine, the California Governor’s Advisory Committee on Physical Fitness, the American Society for Bone & Mineral Research, and the International Society for Clinical Densitometry. She serves on the editorial board for the ACSM Health & Fitness Journal, and is a reviewer for several other exercise science, health promotion, and sports medicine journals.
Jeanne F. Nichols. PhD, FACSM
School of Exercise & Nutritional Sciences
5500 Campanile Drive
San Diego, CA 92182-7251
E-mail: jeannebernhard@cox.net
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This
Grant
Information
Summary
may be
downloaded
in a
2-page
pdf file
from
http://www.natafoundation.org/PDF/08NicholsGrantSummary.pdf |
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