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Drive for thinness predicts musculoskeletal injuries in division II NCAA female athletes
The concomitant occurrence of low energy, menstrual derangements, and low bone density is known as the female athlete triad and is thought to be the etiology behind bone stress injuries. In this study by Scheid & Stefanik (2019), the authors investigated the links between the motivation for thinness—an indirect indicator of low energy—and musculoskeletal injuries, in a population of 57 NCAA Division II college female athletes followed for a season in their sports. The participants were divided into groups based on their drive for thinness (DT, high vs. low) and electronic medical records were used to document their injuries throughout the season (90 recorded injuries in 47 participants). Analysis of the results revealed that most prevalent injuries suffered by athletes were: lower back pain/spasm/strain injuries, shin splints/medial tibial stress syndrome, knee pain, quadriceps strain, and knee sprains (involving the anterior cruciate, posterior cruciate, medial or lateral collateral ligaments), with the high DT group suffering substantially more injuries compared to the low DT group. Thus, the authors deduced that a higher drive for thinness in female athletes is linked to suffering more injuries throughout a competitive season. [NPID: Division II, college athletes, drive for thinness, female athlete triad, injuries]
Year: 2019
