Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37195394›Full record

Observational studyEating and weight disorders : EWD2023

The association between sport type and eating/body image concerns in high school students: a cross-sectional observational study.

Giulio D'Anna, Lorenzo Lucherini Angeletti, Federica Benvenuti, Giulia Melani, Marco Ferroli, Francesca Poli, Rita Giulia Villano, Valdo Ricca, Francesco Rotella

Open access · diamondAbstract readObservational Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Observational study in Eating and weight disorders : EWD, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
2.5field-weighted citation impact, top 11% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 8 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Muscle dysmorphia in adolescents and young adults.The Lancet. Child & adolescent health · 2026
    Review
  2. Article
  3. Observational
  4. Article
  5. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Giulio D'AnnaPsychiatry Unit, Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Largo Brambilla, 3, 50134, Florence, Italy.
Lorenzo Lucherini AngelettiPsychiatry Unit, Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Largo Brambilla, 3, 50134, Florence, Italy.
Federica BenvenutiPsychiatry Unit, Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Largo Brambilla, 3, 50134, Florence, Italy.
Giulia MelaniPsychiatry Unit, Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Largo Brambilla, 3, 50134, Florence, Italy.
Marco FerroliPsychiatry Unit, Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Largo Brambilla, 3, 50134, Florence, Italy.
Francesca PoliPsychiatry Unit, Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Largo Brambilla, 3, 50134, Florence, Italy.
Rita Giulia VillanoPsychiatry Unit, Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Largo Brambilla, 3, 50134, Florence, Italy.
Valdo RiccaPsychiatry Unit, Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Largo Brambilla, 3, 50134, Florence, Italy.
Francesco RotellaPsychiatry Unit, Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Largo Brambilla, 3, 50134, Florence, Italy. francesco.rotella@unifi.it.
University of Florence · IT

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeDisordered eating and body image concerns are increasingly common among adolescents, possibly representing the underpinning of eating disorders (EDs). This cross-sectional observational study aimed at investigating the relationship between various patterns of sports involvement or inactivity, and the abovementioned psychopathological dimensions.

methodsAll adolescents attending their 3rd-5th Italian grade in a single high school reported their sociodemographic and anthropometric data, their weekly sports involvement, and filled the Eating Disorders Examination Questionnaire 6.0 (EDE-Q), the Body Uneasiness Test, and the Muscle Dysmorphia Disorder Inventory (for boys). Comparisons were performed considering sex, weekly hours of activity, and different sports type (none, individual, or team sports).

resultsOf 744 enrolled students, 522 (70.2%) completed the survey. Girls showed higher underweight rates, preference for inactivity or individual sports, and higher psychometric scores compared to boys. Among girls, no differences were found based on time spent exercising or sports type. Inactive boys displayed worse weight- and shape-based psychopathology, higher body uneasiness, and higher appearance intolerance compared to those who devoted more time to exercise. Among boys, individual and team sports were associated with lower EDE-Q scores compared to inactivity, whereas body uneasiness and appearance intolerance were lower only in team sports.

conclusionsThe study confirms the presence of remarkable sex differences in eating and body concerns of adolescents. Among boys, sports involvement is tied to lower ED psychopathology, and preference for team sports may be associated with reduced concerns. Wider longitudinal studies on will clarify the direction and specificity of these findings. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level V-Cross-sectional observational study.

Indexed as

Feeding and Eating DisordersSportsAdolescentBody ImageCross-Sectional StudiesExerciseFemaleHumansMaleStudentsSurveys and QuestionnairesAdolescenceBody imageEating disordersInactivityTeam sports

Identifiers

PMID37195394
PMCPMC10191999
OpenAlexW4376872120

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.