Division I Female cross country runners' perception of eating behaviors and attitudes toward health

Division I Female cross country runners' perception of eating behaviors and attitudes toward health PDF Author: Laura Kate Morse
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 52

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Book Description
The Female Athlete Triad (Triad) is a relationship between energy availability (EA), menstrual dysfunction, and bone mineral density (BMD). The Triad is a complex condition that can effect an athlete both physically and psychologically. Low energy availability is thought to be at the cornerstone of the Triad; however, the factors that may impact athletes’ eating behaviors are complex and not well understood. Thus, the purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the perspectives of female collegiate cross country runners from Division I schools on eating behaviors and attitudes toward health. METHODS: Phenomenologic qualitative research methods were used in this study. Six NCAA Division I female collegiate cross country runners, 18 to 20, all attending the same university participated in the interviews. All interviews were conducted individually and consisted of a semi-structured format with a flexible guide of open-ended questions. Each interview was recorded, and later transcribed. Three researchers individually coded and developed themes/subthemes, and then collaborated as a team to negotiate a set of themes/subthemes. RESULTS: Three main themes and 11 sub-themes became apparent through analysis of the transcripts of the six participant interviews. The three themes were nutritional views, identity as a runner, and psychological factors. DISCUSSION: There were consistent interactions among the themes and subthemes, and each athlete’s identity as a runner clearly had an impact on her perception of health. Many of the runners expressed the need to eat a more balanced diet; however, they found restricted options within their campus cafeteria. Time constraints as well as availability of nutritional content, and the belief that the diet for a runner is different than a non-athlete, all played a role in the athletes making nutritional choices. Therefore, the ability for athletes to exercise control in what they consume may affect their possible awareness of caloric intake and allow for a larger focus on their performance. Overall, athletes tended to report not limiting their diets based on outside influences, but only limiting themselves when food was considered unhealthy and had the potential to lead to weight gain. Furthermore, the athletes expressed the need for balance between caloric intake and expenditure. The athletes also expressed uncertainty on how to attain nutritional balance, either due to an expressed lack of either reliable nutritional sources or nutritional knowledge. Individualized education and establishing trustworthiness are important areas for health care professionals to address. CONCLUSION: The Interactions that occurred between the subthemes and themes in this study demonstrated that there were multiple factors beyond nutritional knowledge influencing the athletes’ nutritional behaviors. These findings give some insight into the nutritional decisions in female runners that may impact the female athlete triad, but clearly it is a complex issue.

Division I Female cross country runners' perception of eating behaviors and attitudes toward health

Division I Female cross country runners' perception of eating behaviors and attitudes toward health PDF Author: Laura Kate Morse
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 52

Get Book Here

Book Description
The Female Athlete Triad (Triad) is a relationship between energy availability (EA), menstrual dysfunction, and bone mineral density (BMD). The Triad is a complex condition that can effect an athlete both physically and psychologically. Low energy availability is thought to be at the cornerstone of the Triad; however, the factors that may impact athletes’ eating behaviors are complex and not well understood. Thus, the purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the perspectives of female collegiate cross country runners from Division I schools on eating behaviors and attitudes toward health. METHODS: Phenomenologic qualitative research methods were used in this study. Six NCAA Division I female collegiate cross country runners, 18 to 20, all attending the same university participated in the interviews. All interviews were conducted individually and consisted of a semi-structured format with a flexible guide of open-ended questions. Each interview was recorded, and later transcribed. Three researchers individually coded and developed themes/subthemes, and then collaborated as a team to negotiate a set of themes/subthemes. RESULTS: Three main themes and 11 sub-themes became apparent through analysis of the transcripts of the six participant interviews. The three themes were nutritional views, identity as a runner, and psychological factors. DISCUSSION: There were consistent interactions among the themes and subthemes, and each athlete’s identity as a runner clearly had an impact on her perception of health. Many of the runners expressed the need to eat a more balanced diet; however, they found restricted options within their campus cafeteria. Time constraints as well as availability of nutritional content, and the belief that the diet for a runner is different than a non-athlete, all played a role in the athletes making nutritional choices. Therefore, the ability for athletes to exercise control in what they consume may affect their possible awareness of caloric intake and allow for a larger focus on their performance. Overall, athletes tended to report not limiting their diets based on outside influences, but only limiting themselves when food was considered unhealthy and had the potential to lead to weight gain. Furthermore, the athletes expressed the need for balance between caloric intake and expenditure. The athletes also expressed uncertainty on how to attain nutritional balance, either due to an expressed lack of either reliable nutritional sources or nutritional knowledge. Individualized education and establishing trustworthiness are important areas for health care professionals to address. CONCLUSION: The Interactions that occurred between the subthemes and themes in this study demonstrated that there were multiple factors beyond nutritional knowledge influencing the athletes’ nutritional behaviors. These findings give some insight into the nutritional decisions in female runners that may impact the female athlete triad, but clearly it is a complex issue.

The Perspectives of Female Collegiate Cross Country Runners on Eating behaviors and attitudes toward health

The Perspectives of Female Collegiate Cross Country Runners on Eating behaviors and attitudes toward health PDF Author: Trisha Armstrong
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 40

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Book Description
Introduction: Recent literature has explored eating behaviors throughout the female collegiate cross country runner population, finding that often nutritional knowledge is not optimal, and both disordered eating and the female athlete triad exist. However, the relationship between nutritional knowledge and eating behaviors is unclear. The primary purpose of this study was to explore the perspectives of female collegiate cross country runners on eating behaviors and attitudes toward health. Methods: During the 2013 cross country season, 5 NAIA and 5 Division II female cross country runners, ages 18-22, participated in this qualitative research study. The relationship between eating behavior and attitudes toward health was examined through individual, semi-structured interviews. After transcription of the interviews, each student researcher independently developed themes and sub-themes and then met to negotiate findings. Results: The following four themes were identified: health behaviors, nutritional knowledge, influences, and health attitudes. This participants’ statements suggested that influences, nutritional knowledge, and attitude all affected the health behaviors of the cross country runner. Not only did they change health behaviors, but influences, nutritional knowledge, and attitude also intertwined with each other, affecting one another. Discussion: While nutritional knowledge does play a role in health behaviors of the female runner, it is not the sole contributor. Complex and interconnected relationships between eating behaviors and attitudes toward health were identified and were unique in each female collegiate cross country runner. Conclusion: The development of health behaviors of female collegiate cross country runners was exposed throughout this qualitative study. This in-depth understanding may assist in interpreting the behavioral causes of the female athlete triad and therefore the management as well as prevention of this disorder. Acknowledgements: Barbara Hoogenboom, Cynthia Grapczynski, participating women’s cross country teams, athletic directors and coaches.

Effects of Media Messages on Disordered Eating Development Among Female Collegiate Distance Runners

Effects of Media Messages on Disordered Eating Development Among Female Collegiate Distance Runners PDF Author: Megan-Anne Perrin
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
This study was an examination of the determinants of disordered eating development among female collegiate distance runners. More specifically, the study examined the impact of thinness-emphasizing and thinness-promoting messages disseminated by mass media and running-specific media, and how those messages affected disordered eating among a sample of female collegiate distance runners. It also examines current female collegiate distance runners' attitudes toward disordered eating, subjective norms from referent individuals close to female collegiate distance runners regarding disordered eating, and female collegiate distance runners' perceived behavioral control regarding disordered eating - which was divided into various internal and external control factors either inhibiting or facilitating disordered eating among them. The study was qualitative in nature and assumed a multi-method approach. It included an online, anonymous, self-administered questionnaire among 166 current NCAA Division I female distance runners; four small, confidential focus groups with current NCAA Division I female distance runners from four different teams; and 16 in-depth interviews with professional distance runners, dietitians, coaches, physicians, and sports psychologists. The study sought to answer four research questions - each based on an element of the study's guiding theory, the theory of planned behavior (Ajzen, 1991). Overall, the study found media messages, attitudes, subjective norms, and various internal and external control factors all facilitated disordered eating among NCAA Division I female distance runners. Based upon these findings, the study offers recommendations for practitioners in the field of health communication, coaches, academic institutions with cross country and track teams, and female collegiate distance runners.

Group Influence on the Eating Attitudes and Behaviors in Male and Female Collegiate Cross Country Runners

Group Influence on the Eating Attitudes and Behaviors in Male and Female Collegiate Cross Country Runners PDF Author: Alison Gavigan
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
The purpose of the present study was twofold: (a) to examine eating attitudes and behaviors held by collegiate cross country runners and (b) to explore the effect that team influence plays on their eating attitudes. The Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26; Garner et al., 1982) and an open-ended questionnaire were used to assess the eating attitudes and behaviors of participants in relation to their team environment in this mixed-methods study. Participants (N = 49) were female and male collegiate cross country runners from all three divisions in the NCAA. An independent samples t-test was used to compare male and female EAT-26 scores, while thematic analysis (Braun & Clark, 2006) was used to code and identify themes within the qualitative data. There was a significant difference between EAT-26 scores in males and females, with female participants scoring higher than males. The following themes were identified from the open-ended responses: restrictive eating, feelings of pressure from teammates and coaches, and eating more than before joining the team. The study findings indicate that cross country runners experience negative and positive eating attitudes and behaviors related to their team environments and further research in this area is needed.

An Examination of the Relationship Between Disordered Eating Status and Nutrient Intake Among NCAA Cross-country Runners

An Examination of the Relationship Between Disordered Eating Status and Nutrient Intake Among NCAA Cross-country Runners PDF Author: Elisabeth J. Daniels
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 45

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Book Description
The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of disordered eating and the relationships between disordered eating and nutrient status among male and female NCAA cross-country runners (n=49). At the beginning of the Fall 2014 cross-country season, runners completed a baseline questionnaire, which assessed sports participation history and training volume, injury history, menstrual history, eating behaviors, and general health history. Runners also completed in three, unannounced, phone-based 24-hour dietary recalls, which were used to analyze nutrition status, and an evaluation of their exercise training, which was used to determine mean daily exercise energy expenditure. Using independent t tests, results showed that 36.7% of female runners and 40% of male runners were classified with disordered eating (DE). Among those with DE, 50% of female runners met the criteria for dietary restraint and 41.7% of male runners reported excessive exercise. Male and female runners with DE also admitted to having disordered weight perceptions (83.3% and 75%, respectively). Female runners with DE had significantly lower intakes of energy (2318.7±284.2 vs. 2875.3±604.5, p=0.05), protein in g/day and g/kg (96.9=18.3; 1.6±0.4 vs. 125.7±23.5; 2.3±0.5; p=0.02, p=0.01, respectively), and carbohydrates in g/day (5.2±1.3 vs. 7.2=0.8, p=0.04) compared to female runners with no DE. Male runners with DE had significantly higher calcium intake than male runners with no DE (2111.2±682.6 vs. 1480.3±562.9, p = 0.01). The findings in this study underscore the need for standardized nutrition intervention and education programs in university athletics departments as well as the need for gender specific assessment criteria for disordered eating.

Influences of Eating Disorders and Behaviors on College Cross Country and Track Runners

Influences of Eating Disorders and Behaviors on College Cross Country and Track Runners PDF Author: Kimberly L. Ricker
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Eating disorders
Languages : en
Pages : 36

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Book Description
Outside sources can be a large influence on athlete's perceptions of themselves, including their body image. Men and women face the same issues and influences from outside sources. The SCOFF questionnaire was used to determine if an athlete has the possibility of developing or already has an eating disorder. An eight question survey was also used to see what outside sources influence the eating behaviors of college cross country and track runners.

The Relationship Between Body Image and Eating Patterns in Collegiate Cross Country Runners

The Relationship Between Body Image and Eating Patterns in Collegiate Cross Country Runners PDF Author: Justine Myers
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780355628517
Category : Kinesiology
Languages : en
Pages : 151

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Book Description
The cross country running environment places an increased emphasis on body size that can lead to manipulation of eating behaviors to obtain the perceived ideal competitive body. Understanding body image within/outside the sport of cross country running may give insight into development of negative body image and/or disordered eating. A quasi-experiment was conducted using a convenience sample of collegiate cross-country runners competing at Illinois NCAA colleges (n=85; 30 male, 55 female). Participants completed the Body Image Assessment Scale -- Body Dimensions (BIAS-BD), Contextual Body Image Questionnaire for Athletics (CBIQA), and Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q). Related and independent-samples t-tests, Wilcoxon Signed Ranks, Spearman Rank Order Correlations, ANOVAs, and Mann Whitney U-tests were ran. The results revealed that collegiate cross country runners displayed significant body dissatisfaction (p = 0.000) and perceived an underweight BMI to be ideal for their sport. Runners tended to view themselves as heavier when compared to the standards of their sport (Mdn = 4.25) than the standards of the general public ( Mdn = 3.83), Z = 2,016.0, p = 0.000. Competitive body image in terms of thin-fat self (r s = 0.699, p = 0.000) and thin-fat others ( rs = 0.621, p = 0.000) body image subscales had the strongest correlations with disordered eating.

Eating Behaviors Among Division I Collegiate Female Athletes

Eating Behaviors Among Division I Collegiate Female Athletes PDF Author: Danielle Kimberly Digeralamo
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Women athletes
Languages : en
Pages : 162

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Book Description


Relationship Between Stress, Dietary Intake, and Perception of Performance Amongst Female Long-distance Runners

Relationship Between Stress, Dietary Intake, and Perception of Performance Amongst Female Long-distance Runners PDF Author: Melissa L. Alex
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
The recent growth of distance running has brought attention to the rise in incidences of health problems among female endurance athletes (Zawila, Steib, & Hoogenboom, 2003), and susceptibility of increased nutrient deficiencies (Shriver, Betts, & Wollenberg 2013; Loucks, 2011). Additionally, stress has been found to have a strong correlation with unhealthy eating behaviors among college students (Cvetovac & Hamar, 2012). Currently there is limited research assessing daily stressors and the implication on nutritional adequacy and performance of long distance female runners against the recommended dietary guidelines for endurance athletes. The purpose of this research study was to examine if a relationship exists between stress, dietary intake, and performance among female college long distance track runners at a Northeastern Ohio University. Of the thirty female athletes recruited for the current study, a total of eleven athletes completed the entire three days of data collection and the demographic questionnaire. A Pearson's product-moment correlation coefficient was used to determine the relationship between Perceived Exertion Rate (RPE) (M =16.18, SD = 1.94) and total energy (kcal) (M = 2198.12, SD = 457.00) values. A non-significant moderate relationship between was determined between the two variables, r (10) = .571, p > 0.05). A paired-samples t-test was conducted to compare total energy, carbohydrate, protein, and fat from the participants dietary analysis and the total energy and macronutrient recommendations for long distance runners. Overall, the current study supports previous research indicating a deficiency in carbohydrate intake and excessive intake of fat of female distance athletes. Although no significance was found when comparing participants overall energy intake against specific sport intake recommendations and perceived stress for this population, future studies with a larger sample size and extended length of time could reveal a stronger relationship between these variables.

Efficacy of Nutrition Education Intervention on Dietary Behaviors and Health Outcomes Among Elite Collegiate Cross Country Runners

Efficacy of Nutrition Education Intervention on Dietary Behaviors and Health Outcomes Among Elite Collegiate Cross Country Runners PDF Author: Kristen Gillespie
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781321694987
Category : Cross-country running
Languages : en
Pages : 60

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Book Description
Abstract: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of a nutrition education intervention on dietary behaviors and health outcomes among elite collegiate Cross Country runners. Specifically, this study evaluated the impact of the nutrition education intervention on daily caloric intake, energy deficiency, and BMI of NCAA male and female Cross Country runners, as well as menstrual status of the female Cross Country runners, from Fall 2013 to Fall 2014. Data was collected on 23 student-athletes. Results showed that the nutrition education intervention did not significantly change energy status, weight status, or menstrual dysfunction from Fall 2013 to Fall 2014. In addition, there was no significant relationship between change in energy status and a likelihood to meet expected weight or criteria for eumenorrhea in females from Fall 2013 to Fall 2014.