The Study for Differences of Eating Traits, Personality Characteristics, Depression and Other Psychopatology According to Need for Weight Control in Athletes

운동선수에 있어 체중조절필요성에 따른 식사특성, 성격특성, 우울성향 및 기타병리의 차이에 대한 연구

This study was designed to investigate the role of weight control in the formation of underlying pathology in eating disorder or eating related problems. The subjects were 304 college athletes(Male : 187. Female: 121) and they were divided into two groups according to need for weight control(Weght control group: 110, Weght non control group: 194). The authors used self report questionnaire which was composed of epidemiologic data, food habit scale, eating attitude test, scale for locus of control for weight, scale for food preference and eating behavior. And we also used Eysenck Personality Questionnaire of Korean standardized edition for assessment of personality characteristics, Beck depression inventory, and the scale of hypochondriasis. The results were as follows: 1) Body mass index and the amount of cigarrette smoking and alcohol drinking showed significant differences by sex but not by need for weight control. 2) Eating habit of female athletes was the worst in all athletes. The score of eating attitude test of female athletes was higher than that of male athletes but there was no significant difference by need for weight control. Food preference and eating related behavior was also different by sex. 3) There were no significant differences in all subscales of Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, Beck depression inventory, and the scale of hypochondriasis between two groups which were divided by need for weight control. Neuroticism score was higher in female atheletes and psychoticism score was the highest in weight control male atheletes. 4) There was no significant difference in number of population with abnormal EAT score(to-tal score$\geq$26) between two groups which were divided by need for weight control. 5) The score of eating attitude test had positive correlation with the score of psychoticism and the tendency of depression in weight control male athletes but not in non-weight control male athletes. In non-weight control male athletes, the score of eating attitude test had positive correlation with the score of lie scale. so its correlation is different from those of weight control male athletes. But in female athletes, the score of eating attitude test had significant positive correlation with the score of psychoticism in both groups. In conclusion, these results suggest that the differences of eating traits in athletes are depend upon the sex difference, not upon the need for weight control. and that the role of weight control in eating disorder or abnormal eating attitude differs according to sex.