Perceptions, awareness and knowledge of the female athlete triad amongst pre-service physical education teachers

• Main Author: Lau, Rachel Yue Ting
• Other Authors: Ang Wee Boon
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2019
• Subjects: DRNTU::Science::General
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/76788
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

The female athlete triad is a potentially fatal condition with lifelong consequences on the affected individuals. While studies have profusely advocated educating those in close proximity to female adolescents to allow for early prevention and intervention of the triad, limited studies on teachers’ awareness and knowledge of the triad exist. The objective of this study was to determine the perceptions, awareness and knowledge levels of Singapore’s pre- service Physical Education (PE) teachers on the female athlete triad. A total of 64 pre-service second-year PE teachers (100% response rate) from the National Institute of Education in Singapore participated in the cross-sectional survey. To investigate perceptions, awareness and knowledge on the triad, a 31-item questionnaire was administered. Data analysed included participants’ characteristics, perceptions, awareness and knowledge levels and gender differences in awareness and knowledge levels. Low knowledge levels were observed with only 16% of the teachers having heard of the female athlete triad. Only three teachers were able to correctly identify the three components of the triad. A considerable number of pre-service PE teachers had misperceptions about body composition, menstrual irregularities and bone health in female athletes. There was no significant difference in awareness and knowledge based on gender (p = .15). Substantial knowledge gaps and misperceptions about the triad were observed. Modifications with a three-pronged approach to the existing Teacher Training Programme and conducting of educational workshops for teachers in the force are required to address these issues.