Contacts:
Robin Waxenberg Honey Hamilton
Robin Waxenberg & Associates NATA
robin@robwax.com honeyh@nata.org
917-301-1350 972-532-8812
July 16, 2020
UNIVERSITY MARCHING BAND ARTISTS ARE AT SIGNIFICANT RISK
FOR EATING DISORDERS
DALLAS, TX – Marching band artists are a physically active population composed of approximately 27,000 people in the United States. New research found that two-thirds of university marching band artists are at risk for eating disorders with females (31.3%) displaying higher risk for eating disorders than males (15.3%).
The research also uncovered that both males and females are engaging in pathogenic behavior such as chronic dieting, fasting, laxative use, binge eating, diuretic use, or self-induced purging to control their weight; with females displaying a higher risk for purging.
Examination of Eating Disorder Risk Among University Marching Band Artists is being presented today as part of the 2020 NATA Virtual Clinical Symposia & AT Expo educational programming, which transitioned to a virtual event in light of COVID-19. The study abstract will be published in the Journal of Athletic Training, the scientific journal of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association, later this year.
“In university marching bands, artists face many of the same physical demands and mental stressors as traditional student athletes. This can predispose them to injury and illness and put them at risk for disordered eating or eating disorders,” said Nancy Uriegas, MS, SCAT, ATC, Doctoral Teaching and Research Assistant, University of South Carolina. “However, they do not receive the same medical oversight as traditional sports. It is imperative that universities provide marching band artists with appropriate health care, such as athletic trainers, who can provide education as well as implement prevention strategies and clinical interventions.”
A convenience sample of 150 marching band artists was analyzed from a larger cross-sectional study from three NCAA Division I university marching bands. Participants anonymously completed the Eating Disorder Inventory -3 (EDI-3) and the EDI-3 Symptom Checklist (SC). Cross‑tabulations and Chi-square analyses were used to examine the proportion of participants classified as “at risk for EDI‑3 and EDI‑3 SC” across sex.
About NATA: National Athletic Trainers’ Association – Health Care for Life & Sport
Athletic trainers are health care professionals who specialize in the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of injuries and sport-related illnesses. They prevent and treat chronic musculoskeletal injuries from sports, physical and occupational activity, and provide immediate care for acute injuries. Athletic trainers offer a continuum of care that is unparalleled in health care. The National Athletic Trainers' Association represents and supports 45,000 members of the athletic training profession. Visit nata.org for more information.
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