Female Athlete Triad Knowledge Among Sports Medicine Rehabilitation Clinicians In Nebraska

BACKGROUND: The Female Athlete Triad consists of three interrelated components: low energy availability, menstrual dysfunction, and impaired bone mineral density. Research studies on Female Athlete Triad knowledge across healthcare providers have been conducted in large areas on the east and west coasts, however, few have been conducted in smaller rural settings in the Midwest. PURPOSE: The purpose of this research was to evaluate Female Athlete Triad knowledge in sports medicine rehabilitation clinicians located in rural Nebraska. METHODS: A survey (Ackerman et al., 2015) regarding Female Athlete Triad knowledge of the components, commonly associated sports, menstrual irregularity and disordered eating classifications, and currently used scores to assess bone mineral density was delivered to 5 sports medicine rehabilitation clinics in a rural community. RESULTS: A total of 34 participants completed the survey (16 physical therapists, 6 physical therapist assistants, 5 athletic trainers, 3 occupational therapists, 1 physical therapy student, and 3 who did not specify their title). In response to the open-ended question “What are the three components of the Female Athlete Triad?” less than 12% were able to correctly state the 3 components of the Female Athlete Triad. In response to multiple choice questions, 85% were able to correctly select the 3 sports that put female athletes most at risk for the Female Athlete Triad, 3% were able to identify what is considered menstrual irregularity, 65% were able to identify that energy imbalance is a key factor, and 44% were able to identify the bone mineral density score that is currently used to assess the Female Athlete Triad. CONCLUSION: Although the Female Athlete Triad was first identified in 1992 and has been included in textbooks and other educational materials for over 20 years, these data indicate that there is a large lack of knowledge of the Female Athlete Triad among sports medicine rehabilitation clinicians. The present data indicate that fewer participants in the present survey were able to correctly identify the components of the Female Athlete Triad than those previously reported in physicians, fellows, and residents from large academic hospitals, indicating an overall need for increased education on this topic in rural Nebraska sports medicine clinicians.