Team-driven prevention of disordered eating: A qualitative comparison of two female collegiate cross country teams

Background: Research on risk and protective factors for disordered eating among female athletes has not yet incorporated a focus on ways in which team members, within their athletic environmental context, collectively address behaviors that appear to be disordered on their team.

Methods: Qualitative methods were used. Semi-structured in-depth individual interviews were conducted with all members of two NCAA Division 1 women's cross country teams (n=36). All transcripts were coded using line-by-line grounded theory and reviewed by an independent second coder.

Results: There was consistent divergence between teams with respect to how disordered eating behaviors were addressed. Nearly every member of team 1 and nearly no members of team 2 expressed confidence that the team would in fact address the disordered behavior in some capacity. The major contextual factor to which this divergence appears to be attributable is the coaching staff. Specifically, gender, relatability and directness of the coaching staff in addressing issues of eating and weight were key themes identified by participants. The influence of coaches included whether team members are likely to use them as a resource in addressing potentially disordered behaviors among teammates.

Discussion: The results of this study suggest that beyond sport and level of competition-specific risk factors, the team itself, within the context of its' athletic environment, can influence how disordered eating is addressed and prevented. Understanding more about factors that contribute to between team variance may help in the design of interventions to reduce the burden of disordered eating in this vulnerable population.