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Off the Field, On the Mind: The Relationship Between Injury, Identity, and Eating Habits in Recreational Athletes

Németh, Luca Napsugár LU and Tankó, Karola LU (2026) PSYP01 20261
Department of Psychology
Abstract
This study examined differences between sport-specific and general eating behaviours in
recreational athletes and investigated whether injury severity, athletic identity, and conformity to masculine norms predicted eating-related outcomes following sport injury. The original sample consisted of N = 161 recreational athletes; however, after applying the exclusion criteria and including only injured participants, the final sample comprised N = 106 recreational athletes (50 men, 56 women). Participants completed measures assessing sport-specific disordered eating (ADE), non-sport-specific eating behaviours (TFEQ-R21), athletic identity (EIS), masculinity norms (CMNI-22), and injury severity. Results showed significantly higher endorsement of... (More)
This study examined differences between sport-specific and general eating behaviours in
recreational athletes and investigated whether injury severity, athletic identity, and conformity to masculine norms predicted eating-related outcomes following sport injury. The original sample consisted of N = 161 recreational athletes; however, after applying the exclusion criteria and including only injured participants, the final sample comprised N = 106 recreational athletes (50 men, 56 women). Participants completed measures assessing sport-specific disordered eating (ADE), non-sport-specific eating behaviours (TFEQ-R21), athletic identity (EIS), masculinity norms (CMNI-22), and injury severity. Results showed significantly higher endorsement of sport-specific disordered eating behaviours compared to general eating behaviours, particularly among men (d = 0.66). Injury severity (β = 0.41, p = 0.002; β = 0.40, p = 0.003 for men and women respectively) emerged as the only consistent predictor of eating-related outcomes, with greater injury severity associated with higher sport-specific disordered eating attitudes across both gender groups. Athletic identity and conformity to masculine norms were not significant predictors. Gender comparisons further indicated that sport-specific disordered eating attitudes appeared more strongly associated with the examined predictors among men (R² = 0.31) than women (R² = 0.18) , with male athletes also showing greater differences between sport-specific and general eating behaviours. The findings suggest that injury may represent a vulnerable period for maladaptive eating attitudes in recreational athletes and highlight the importance of sport-specific assessment tools in identifying disordered eating tendencies. (Less)
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author
Németh, Luca Napsugár LU and Tankó, Karola LU
supervisor
organization
course
PSYP01 20261
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
disordered eating, recreational athletes, sport injury, athletic identity, masculinity norms
language
English
id
9240032
date added to LUP
2026-06-22 14:22:07
date last changed
2026-06-22 14:22:07
@misc{9240032,
  abstract     = {{This study examined differences between sport-specific and general eating behaviours in
recreational athletes and investigated whether injury severity, athletic identity, and conformity to masculine norms predicted eating-related outcomes following sport injury. The original sample consisted of N = 161 recreational athletes; however, after applying the exclusion criteria and including only injured participants, the final sample comprised N = 106 recreational athletes (50 men, 56 women). Participants completed measures assessing sport-specific disordered eating (ADE), non-sport-specific eating behaviours (TFEQ-R21), athletic identity (EIS), masculinity norms (CMNI-22), and injury severity. Results showed significantly higher endorsement of sport-specific disordered eating behaviours compared to general eating behaviours, particularly among men (d = 0.66). Injury severity (β = 0.41, p = 0.002; β = 0.40, p = 0.003 for men and women respectively) emerged as the only consistent predictor of eating-related outcomes, with greater injury severity associated with higher sport-specific disordered eating attitudes across both gender groups. Athletic identity and conformity to masculine norms were not significant predictors. Gender comparisons further indicated that sport-specific disordered eating attitudes appeared more strongly associated with the examined predictors among men (R² = 0.31) than women (R² = 0.18) , with male athletes also showing greater differences between sport-specific and general eating behaviours. The findings suggest that injury may represent a vulnerable period for maladaptive eating attitudes in recreational athletes and highlight the importance of sport-specific assessment tools in identifying disordered eating tendencies.}},
  author       = {{Németh, Luca Napsugár and Tankó, Karola}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Off the Field, On the Mind: The Relationship Between Injury, Identity, and Eating Habits in Recreational Athletes}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}