Prevalence and characteristics of abnormal eating behaviours among young judo athletes in Poland – an analysis of sex differences

Introduction and Objective.Young matial arts sports athletes may be particularly vulnerable to developing abnormal eating behaviours.To date, no studies on eating disorders among young judo athletes have been conducted in Poland.The aim of the study is to assess the prevalence of abnormal eating behaviours among young judo athletes, with emphasis on dietary restraint, uncontrolled eating, and emotional eating. Materials and Method.A cross-sectional study was conducted among 150 judo athletes aged 12-17 years (70 girls, 80 boys).Participants completed a demographic questionnaire, the TSJ Questionnaire assessing emotional eating and eating in response to external stimuli, and the TFEQ-13 assessing dietary restraint, uncontrolled eating, and emotional eating.Results.Girls showed higher emotional eating than boys on both measures (TFEQ-13: d=0.57, p