Female volleyball survey links disordered eating and low energy availability risk

In a cross-sectional online survey of 213 female volleyball players in Türkiye, 33.3% were classified as being at risk of low energy availability (LEA), while 17.4% were at risk of disordered eating (DE). The two risk classifications overlapped in 10.3% of athletes, indicating that most players flagged for one condition were not flagged for the other.

Researchers recruited athletes through non-probability convenience sampling and used the Low Energy Availability in Females Questionnaire (LEAF-Q) to assess LEA risk and the Eating Attitudes Test-26 (EAT-26) to assess DE risk. The proportion classified as being at risk of LEA did not differ significantly across competition levels (p = 0.825). By contrast, DE risk varied by level, with the highest proportion recorded among athletes in the Turkish Women’s Volleyball Second League (p = 0.034).

Disordered-eating risk was associated with substantially higher odds of low-energy-availability risk: the unadjusted odds ratio was 3.80, with a 95% confidence interval of 1.82–7.92. The overlap was therefore substantial but incomplete, showing why screening results for one risk should not be treated as proof of the other. EAT-26 total scores were positively correlated with LEAF-Q total scores and gastrointestinal-function scores (both p < 0.001), as well as injury-history scores (p = 0.004). There was no statistically significant correlation with menstrual-function scores (p = 0.133).

The findings identify LEA risk as the more common classification in this sample, with disordered-eating risk occurring less often. They also support assessing both risks rather than assuming that one implies the other. However, the online survey, convenience sample, and cross-sectional design restrict conclusions about prevalence and relationships in the wider female-athlete population. Because the data were not collected prospectively, the study cannot establish whether the observed associations reflect an underlying relationship, shared influences, or another pattern. The results instead provide a snapshot of screening outcomes and their co-occurrence among the participating volleyball players.

Subject of Research: Co-occurrence of screening-based low energy availability and disordered eating risks among female volleyball players in Türkiye

Article Title: Screening-based low energy availability risk, disordered eating risk, and their co-occurrence among female volleyball players: a cross-sectional study

Article References: André, H., Sarışık, D. Ç., & Özçelik, A. (2026). Screening-based low energy availability risk, disordered eating risk, and their co-occurrence among female volleyball players: a cross-sectional study. PLOS One, 21(10), e0360395. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0360395

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0360395

Keywords: female athletes, volleyball, low energy availability, disordered eating, athlete screening, nutrition, cross-sectional survey, Türkiye, Screening-based, energy, availability, risk