Prevalence and Risk Factors for Eating Disorders in Adolescent Female Basketball Players

<b>Background:</b> Eating disorders (EDs) adversely affect health and athletic performance, yet their prevalence in adolescent female team athletes is understudied. Objectives: This exploratory pilot study assessed ED presence and associated factors in female basketball players aged 10-18 years from a high-level club in Granada, Spain. <b>Methods:</b> This cross-sectional pilot study examined 36 participants (mean age 13.3 ± 2.2 years) who completed the Spanish Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (S-EDE-Q). Body composition (Tanita TBF-300), sociodemographic characteristics, and sport-related factors were recorded. Associations between these covariates and S-EDE-Q global scores (GS) were examined via linear regression. <b>Results:</b> A higher Global Score (GS), indicating increased ED risk, correlated significantly with several factors: Lower paternal education (primary vs. university: <i>p</i> < 0.005) and lower socioeconomic level. Older age (AME = 0.30; <i>p</i> < 0.005) and greater muscle mass (<i>p</i> < 0.001). National competition level (<i>p</i> < 0.001), being a player in the pivot position (mean GS = 1.62), and presence of sport-related medical history (mean GS = 1.07). No associations were found with sport experience or weekly training hours. <b>Conclusions:</b> Although the overall risk of EDs is low, the association with specific factors (sociodemographic, anthropometric, and sports-related) allows vulnerable players to be identified. Longitudinal and larger-scale research is needed to confirm these initial findings and design targeted and early prevention strategies.