Examination of knowledge, attitudes and behaviors of coaches towards Female Athlete Triad

Objective: The incidence of the female athlete triad, which is characterized by low energy availability, menstrual dysfunction and decreased bone mineral density, has increased with the increased participation of women in sports. In this study, the knowledge, attitudes and behaviors of the coaches, who have a significant impact on early detection and prevention of female athlete triad were examined. Material and Methods: Coaches over the age of 18 were included in the study. The questionnaire was carried out during a face-to-face interview or digitally via 'Google forms'. The questionnaire was consisted of their practice with female athletes, knowledge about the female athlete triad, their method to detect eating disorders, menstrual dysfunction, and bone stress injuries in their athletes, and of interventions they take upon detection of any component of the triad. Results: 134 coaches, 49 (36.6%) female and 85 (63.4%) males were included in the study. 63.4% of coaches were actively working with female athletes, whereas only 32.8% declared that they had heard of the female athlete triad and 48.5% of coaches have noticed eating disorders in their athletes. Referral of suspected athletes to physicians having any components of female athlete triad were significantly higher by female coaches compared to male coaches (p<0.001). Conclusion: The knowledge of the coaches about the female athlete triad was found to be low. Educational interventions will provide significant advances in detection, pevention and treatment of Female Athlete Triad.