Abstract

HERNANDEZ-MULERO, N.  and  BERENGUI, R.. Athletic Identity and Eating disorder: preliminary study in competitive athletes. CPD [online]. 2016, vol.16, n.2, pp.37-44. ISSN 1989-5879.

The benefits that practising sports has on people's health are currently recognized. Despite this, if the practice of sport is performed in an obsessive and uncontrolled way, the activity can eventually become a risk factor for the development of unhealthy habits. It has been proved that the kind of sport practiced or the characteristics of the personality that lead to an excessive preoccupation about body image can influence the increase of this risk. "Athletic Identity" may be defined as the degree with which an individual identifies himself with his role as athlete. On the other hand, it is shown that the prevalence of Eating Behaviour Disorders appears with relative frequency not only in esthetic and weight division sports. Therefore, this study aims at analyzing what differences exist in Athletic Identity (AI) and Eating Disorder (ED) between men and women, and the possible relationship between them. 109 athletes participated, used the Eating Disorder Inventory-3 (EDI-3) to evaluate eating disorders, and Identity Measurement Scale (AIMS) for the measurement of AI. The results show higher scores of women in ID, as well as the scales drive for thinness, bulimia, body dissatisfaction, low self-esteem, personal alienation, interpersonal insecurity, interpersonal distrust, perfectionism and asceticism. Moreover, the athlete with the highest ID show higher levels of drive for thinness and perfectionism.

Keywords : Eating disorder; Athletic Identity; Body Image; Gender; Personality.

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