Date
5-20-2026
Department
School of Health Sciences
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Health Sciences (PhD)
Chair
Elizabeth Hall
Keywords
Diet quality, nutritional knowledge, female athlete triad, male athlete triad, REDs, low energy availability, eating disorder risk, collegiate athlete
Disciplines
Nutrition | Sports Sciences
Recommended Citation
Awald, Laurel Koontz, "The Association Between Diet Quality, Nutritional Knowledge, Low Energy Availability, and Eating Disorder Risk in Collegiate Student-Athletes" (2026). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 8389.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/8389
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the association between diet quality, nutritional knowledge, low energy availability, and eating disorder risk in a sample of collegiate student-athletes across several sporting disciplines. The quantitative cross-sectional survey was developed using validated questionnaires to investigate diet quality (The Athlete Diet Index), nutritional knowledge (The Platform for Evaluating Athlete Knowledge in Sports – Nutrition Questionnaire), low energy availability (The Low Energy Availability in Females Questionnaire and Low Energy Availability in Males Questionnaire), and eating disorder risk (DESA – 6). College athletes were recruited from Division I and III universities: (N = 31) from the track and field, cross country, tennis, softball, swim and dive, and football teams. Combined female and male analyses revealed that Total and Sport ADI scores were negatively correlated with eating disorder risk (EDR), while balanced meal habits were positively correlated with PEAKS-NQ. The females’ General ADI scores negatively correlated with Sports PEAKS-NQ and LEA, whereas male Total ADI scores were positively correlated with EDR and PEAKS-NQ. Male Total PEAKS-NQ was positively correlated with EDR and negatively with BMI. Females scored higher on the PEAKS-NQ but lower on the ADI than males. Low energy availability (LEA) prevalence was higher among females, and combined LEA + EDR was more common in females. Meal-skipping was reported by 80% of males and 60% of females. Track and field and cross-country athletes scored higher on Total and Sport PEAKS-NQ than football athletes. Athletes training greater than 20 hours per week had higher Total ADI scores, and female BMI negatively correlated with weekly training hours. Overall, these findings provide comprehensive insights into collegiate student-athletes’ fueling, and many findings inspire further research into the current state of collegiate athletes' relationships and habits regarding nutrition.
