Prevalence of disordered eating and menstrual irregularities in high school and collegiate female athletes

Purpose. To compare prevalence of disordered eating and menstrual irregularities between high school and collegiate female athletes.; Problem. Athletes are driven to extremes for success, increasing risk for disordered eating and menstrual irregularities.; Method. Descriptive research utilizing 116 volunteer collegiate and high school athletes was performed using the EAT-26 survey instrument.; Findings. No significant differences were found in disordered eating, BMI or age of menarche for high school versus college, and athletes with menstrual irregularities versus regularity. The mean age of menarche was significantly less than the mean of the population. A strong negative relationship was found between BMI and age of menarche. Athletes with irregular menstrual cycle scored significantly higher on EAT-26 than athletes with regular cycles.; Conclusion. There was prevalence of disordered eating tendencies and menstrual irregularities. Athletes with disordered eating were more likely to have menstrual irregularities. Further education for athletes, coaches, administrators, and ATC's is needed.