Between Pressure and Coping: Stress Management Strategies and Social Support as Predictors of Abnormal Eating Behaviours in Young Polish Judo Athletes

Background: Young athletes in weight-category sports such as judo may experience pressure related to body weight, which can be associated with unhealthy eating. Building on two earlier studies of young Polish judo athletes, this study examined whether ways of coping with stress, weight-related pressure from the social environment, and perceived availability of nutritional support are associated with abnormal eating behaviours. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 142 judo athletes aged 12–17 years (48 girls, 94 boys) completed questionnaires assessing eating behaviours (the Test of Eating Situation Style and the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire), coping with stress (the How Do You Cope? inventory, JSR), and a study-specific questionnaire on weight-related pressure and perceived availability of nutritional support. Results: Girls reported higher emotion-focused coping in several sex-by-age subgroup comparisons. After accounting for sex, age, and BMI-for-age z-score, coping styles and weight-related pressure were significantly associated with dietary restraint and emotional eating. Critical comments about an athlete’s weight or body shape and pressure to maintain a specific competition weight were among the most consistent the strongest predictors, whereas BMI-for-age z-score was not. Athletes who perceived broadly defined nutritional support as available reported less eating in response to external cues than those without such support. Conclusions: In this sample of young Polish judo athletes, weight-related comments and pressure, together with coping strategies, are associated with abnormal eating behaviours. Careful coach communication about weight, evaluation of structured nutritional-support provision, and coping-skills training are candidate prevention targets that should be tested in longitudinal and intervention studies.