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. 2024 Jul 12;29(1):46.
doi: 10.1007/s40519-024-01667-3.

Assessment of eating disorder symptoms, compulsive exercise, body dissatisfaction and depression in Swedish national team gymnasts, with a one-year follow-up

Klara Edlund  1   2 , Niklas Forsberg  3 , Henrik Källberg  4 , Anna Melin  5
Affiliations

Assessment of eating disorder symptoms, compulsive exercise, body dissatisfaction and depression in Swedish national team gymnasts, with a one-year follow-up

Klara Edlund et al. Eat Weight Disord. .

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore changes in symptoms of eating disorders, compulsive exercise, and depression, between two assessments 12 months apart, among elite gymnasts.

Method: Factors related to the development of mental health symptoms in male and female Swedish national team gymnasts were investigated using baseline and 1-year follow-up scores in two subscales of the Eating Disorders Inventory 3; drive for thinness and body dissatisfaction, two subscales of the Compulsive Exercise Test; avoidance and rule-driven behavior and exercise for weight control, and the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale-Self report (MADRS-S). Linear mixed models were used to investigate the influence of drive for thinness, exercise for weight control, avoidance and rule-driven behavior, and MADRS-S on body dissatisfaction.

Results: Body dissatisfaction increased from baseline to the follow-up assessment, while drive for thinness and depression remained stable. Symptoms of eating disorders and depression were generally low in this group of elite gymnasts at both assessments. Drive for thinness, exercise for weight control, and symptoms of depression were associated with body dissatisfaction.

Discussion: Our findings indicate that there were no significant changes over time in eating disorders and depression symptoms but significant associations with body dissatisfaction. Furthermore, we found independent effects of drive for thinness, exercise for weight control and symptoms of depression for body dissatisfaction.

Keywords: Body dissatisfaction; Compulsive training; Depression; Drive for thinness; Eating disorder symptoms.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose.

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