Health education prevention for eating disorders among college female athletes

Objective: To decrease risk factors for eating disorders among female college athletes. Method: Athletes (n=70) in 7 major university sports were randomly assigned to either an 8-week health education intervention or a comparison group. Results: Intervention subjects scored lower on drive for thinness (<.01) and body dissatisfaction (p<.05); comparison group was lower on self-esteem (p<.001) and nutrition knowlege (p<.05). Regression analyses revealed that the educational intervention was associated with decreased drive for thinness (p<.05) and decreased drive for thinness was associated with decreased body dissatisfaction (p<.01). Conclusion: The intervention is unique and shows promise for helping female collegiate athletes at high risk for eating disorders.