Screening for Disordered Eating among Swiss Adolescent Athletes

Objective: Adolescent athletes face elevated risk for disordered eating (DE), yet limited data exist for Central Europe, particularly Switzerland. This study aimed to examine the frequencies of DE symptoms among adolescent athletes in Switzerland and explore variations by sport sex category, sport type, and sport level using both general and athlete-specific screening tools.

Method: A total of 1,089 adolescent athletes (aged 14–20) from the French-, German-, and Italian-speaking regions of Switzerland completed the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) and the Eating Disorders Screen for Athletes (EDSA). Frequencies of eating disorder symptoms and weight control behaviors were analyzed, with group comparisons based on sport sex category, sport type (weight-sensitive vs. non-weight-sensitive), and competition level.

Results: Overall, 17.5% of athletes scored above the EDE-Q cut-off score of general DE symptoms, and 24.7% scored above the EDSA threshold of sport-specific DE symptoms. Within the total sample, binge eating (65.2%) and excessive exercise (33.3%), assessed using the EDE-Q, were the most frequently reported weight control behaviors. Female athletes showed significantly higher DE symptoms. Sport level was not significantly associated with DE symptoms, although excessive exercise varied by level. Athletes in weight-sensitive sports reported higher DE frequencies on the EDSA and more frequent binge eating and more frequent loss of control eating.

Conclusion: These findings underscore the relevance of assessing DE symptoms in young athletes using sport-specific tools, supporting early identification and informing prevention strategies in the Swiss context.