Clinical trial NCT06801210: The Weight of Victory: Exploring Short- and Long-term Health Outcomes in Former Male & Female Elite Athletes from Weight-sensitive Sports
Official title: The Weight of Victory: Exploring Short- and Long-term Health Outcomes in Former Male & Female Elite Atheltes from Weight-sensitive Sports
Study type: OBSERVATIONAL
Overall status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING
Conditions: Musculoskeletal Health
Fertility
Mental Health
Quality of Life
Body Image
Disordered Eating
Keywords: Elite athletes
Mental health
Somatic health
Disordered eating
Musculoskeletal health
Quality of life
Anxiety and depression
Behavioral
Reproductive health
Fertility
Harassment
Body acceptance
Personality traits
Weight regulation
Lead sponsor: Norwegian School of Sport Sciences
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2025-01-30
Enrollment: 1500
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Observational model: OTHER
Time perspective: CROSS_SECTIONAL
Sampling method: NON_PROBABILITY_SAMPLE
Study population: Former male and female Norwegian elite athletes and a age matched controls from the general population

Brief summary: The health of former elite athletes has been identified as a critical research gap where there is limited knowledge about both short- and long-term consequences after ending their careers. The transition phase from an active elite career to everyday life has been shown to be particularly problematic, yet this issue has been little studied among former Norwegian elite athletes. Furthermore, questions remain regarding the health of athletes from weight-sensitive sports, such as weight-class, aesthetic, and certain endurance sports. These athletes face specific challenges related to maintaining a certain physique and frequent changes in body weight during their active careers. This group has been shown to be vulnerable to a range of problematic health outcomes related to low energy availability, and little is known about the long-term effects of a career involving this.

Therefore, the overall purpose of the project is to map the mental and physical health of former elite athletes. At the same time, there will be a particular focus on the differences between weight-sensitive and less weight-sensitive sports, different types of sports, gender, as well as previous dieting and eating behaviors.

Detailed description: The project will be a quantitative cross-sectional study that includes former elite athletes from both weight-sensitive and less weight-sensitive sports, as well as a sample from the general population for comparison. Information will be collected via an electronic questionnaire that surveys a range of physical and mental health variables among the participants. In addition, behavioral variables related to impulse control, eating and dieting patterns, and weight regulation will be assessed.

Furthermore, the project is expected to contribute new knowledge by identifying health challenges and the explanatory variables for these challenges among former elite athletes. Thus, the project can inform the development of targeted preventive measures, interventions, and policy changes that can improve health and quality of life both during and after athletes' careers and be of significant importance for future athletes.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Represented the national team at senior and/or junior level, (Non-organized sports) competed at national and/or international level. , \>1 year since retirement , \>18 years old,and a proficient level of Norwegian reading and writing skills

Exclusion Criteria:

-

Primary outcomes:
measure: Symptoms of eating disorders (Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire, EDE-Q)
timeFrame: January 2025 to June 2025
measure: Pain, function, and overall well-being connected to musculoskeletal status (Musculoskeletal Health Questionnaire, MSK-HQ)
timeFrame: From January 2025 to June 2025
measure: Menstrual function and history & fertility function and history (The Low Energy Availability in Males Questionnaire, LEAM-Q, Low Energy Availability in Females Questionnaire, LEAF-Q, and The Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study, MoBa)
timeFrame: From January 2025 to June 2025
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Symptoms of Psychological Distress (Symptom Checklist-10, SCL-10)
timeFrame: From January 2025 to June 2025
measure: Alchohol and drug use (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test - Consumption, AUDIT-C and Drug Use Disorders Identification Test, DUDIT)
timeFrame: From January 2025 to June 2025
measure: Satisfaction With Life (Satisfaction With Life Scale, SWLS)
timeFrame: From January 2025 to June 2025
measure: Cognitive Function (PROMIS® v2.0 Cognitive Function-Short Form 6a)
timeFrame: From January 2025 to June 2025
measure: Body Appreciation and Muscle Dysmorphic Disorder Symptoms (Body Appreciation Scale-2, BAS-2, and the Muscle Dysmorphic Disorder Inventory, MDDI)
timeFrame: From January 2025 to June 2025
Other outcomes:
measure: Experiences of harassment, maltreatment, and abuse.
timeFrame: From January 2025 to June 2025
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