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aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of the female athlete
triad, which is a clinical condition defined as the simultaneous occurrence
of disordered eating, amenorrhea, and osteopenia and/or osteoporosis
in female athletes. A total number of 224 female athletes from Edirne
city participated in our study. Eating attitudes test (EAT 40) and
a self-administered questionnaire were used to assess disordered eating
behavior and menstrual status respectively. The participants having
both disordered eating and amenorrhea were performed dual energy x-ray
absorptiometry to evaluate bone mineral density. Thirty seven subjects
(16.8%) had disordered eating behavior and 22 subjects (9.8%) were
reported to have amenorrhea. Six athletes (2.7%) met two criteria
(disordered eating and amenorrhea) of the triad. Of these, only three
athletes met all components of the triad. We have found that the prevalence
rate of female athlete triad was 1.36% among young Turkish female
athletes. Female athletes have under considerable risk for the disordered
eating and amenorrhea components of the triad.
KEY
WORDS: Amenorrhea, disordered eating, osteoporosis, osteopenia,
anorexia nervosa.
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