The role of gender, type of sport practiced, and sport level on the association between experience of sexual violence in sport and symptoms of disordered eating in adolescent-athletes

Sexual violence in sport is related to higher symptoms of disordered eating in samples of adult elite athletes. However, past studies did not account for other potential risk factors of disordered eating in sport that may influence this association. This study examined the role of known risk factors of disordered eating in athletes (i.e., gender, the type of sport practiced, and sport level) on the association between experience of sexual violence (i.e., sexual harassment, sexual abuse, or both) in sport and disordered eating in a sample of adolescent athletes. The sample included 9120 adolescent athletes. Results of multiple linear regressions suggest that experiencing sexual violence, including sexual harassment and sexual abuse in sport, is associated with greater symptoms of disordered eating, even when controlling for known risk factors of disordered eating in sport. Regarding the moderating role of gender, type of sport, and sport level on the association between sexual violence and disordered eating, only three interaction terms were significant. Gender moderates the association between sexual violence and disordered eating, indicating that this positive association is stronger for girls. Sport level moderates the association between sexual violence and sexual abuse with disordered eating, showing that these associations are stronger for participants at a lower sport level compared to those at moderate and higher sport levels. Overall, our results suggest that experience of SV, sexual harassment, and sexual abuse in sport are all associated with higher DE symptoms regardless of the presence of known risk factors of DE in sport.