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Abstract

Introduction: The Female Athlete Triad poses short- and long-term health risks for female athletes through the interrelated components of low energy availability, menstrual dysfunction, and impaired bone health. Despite its prevalence, awareness and education surrounding the Triad remain limited, contributing to delayed recognition and care. The objective of this project was to assess baseline knowledge and comfort discussing Female Athlete Triad–related topics among Division I female athletes and to evaluate the impact of a brief educational intervention on knowledge, attitudes, and help-seeking intentions.

Methods: A community-based educational initiative was conducted in November 2025 among Division I female athletes at a single university. Participants completed anonymous electronic pre- and post-presentation surveys surrounding a 30-minute in-person educational session on the Female Athlete Triad. Surveys assessed prior exposure to education, understanding of the Triad, nutrition, bone health, likelihood of seeking medical care for menstrual irregularities, and comfort discussing related concerns. Paired samples t-tests were used to analyze changes in Likert-scale items, and a Chi-square test evaluated changes in comfort discussing health concerns.

Results: Seventy-nine female athletes completed both surveys. While most participants reported prior nutrition education, fewer had received education on bone health or menstrual health. Following the intervention, mean knowledge scores significantly improved for understanding of the Female Athlete Triad (2.16 to 4.27), the role of nutrition in athletic performance (3.95 to 4.35), and factors contributing to bone health (2.46 to 4.22) (all p < 0.001). Participants also reported a significantly increased likelihood of seeking medical evaluation for irregular menstrual periods (3.19 to 4.10, p < 0.001). Comfort discussing concerns with coaches, trainers, or healthcare providers improved, with more participants selecting “yes” and fewer selecting “unsure” (p = 0.002).

Conclusions: A brief, targeted educational session significantly improved Division I female athletes’ knowledge of the Female Athlete Triad and increased comfort with help-seeking behaviors. These findings support the feasibility and impact of structured Triad education as a preventive strategy and highlight opportunities to integrate concise education into athletic programs and pre-participation sports physicals.

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