This study explored NCAA athletic departments' mental health screening practices, including the mental health concerns assessed for by the mental health screening, personnel responsible for administering and reviewing screeners, and resources available for athletes identified as "at risk." Participants were athletic department staff who had knowledge of their school's mental health screening processes. Frequencies and chi-square analyses were used to assess trends across divisional levels (DI vs. DII/DIII). Analyses show that significantly more DI than DII/DDIII institutions have a formal mental health screening program. Institutions' coverage of mental health topics in their screening did not vary significantly by Divisional level, with one exception: a larger percentage of DI institutions assessed whether student athletes had worked with a mental health practitioner than DII/DIII schools. DII/III were significantly more likely to have athletic trainers both administer and review mental health screeners and DI institutions were significantly more likely to have a sport psychologist employed within their athletic department than. DI schools were significantly more likely to have had a student athlete attempt suicide and participate in inpatient treatment than DII/III schools. Implications of the findings, limitations, and future directions are discussed.

This paper explores the value of attending college to Division I National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) basketball players in terms of future success in the NBA. Future success is measured by both salary and minutes played per game. A dataset of 660 athletes from the 2006 through 2016 drafts was collected from Basketball-Reference. An empirical model is estimated using this data in order to identify the determinant factors in a player’s success in the NBA. It is found that college is not a determinant of success in the NBA.

Dehydration can impact the general population but it is particularly detrimental for athletes, due to their physical performance requirements. Although fluids in general contribute to meeting hydration needs, some beverages aid in the rehydration process more than others. The Beverage Intake Questionnaire (BEVQ-15) is a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) that can rapidly assess habitual beverage intake; this FFQ has been validated in children and adults. However, no beverage consumption questionnaire has been validated in athletes. In addition to monitoring fluid intake, hydration status can be assessed through urinary and blood indices. Urine color (UC) has been utilized as a practical hydration biomarker in several populations. However, this biomarker has not been validated among the general population of collegiate athletes. The first study (n=58): formulated a novel whey-permeate-based beverage to promote hydration and assess its sensory characteristics in the general population. The overall acceptability of the beverage was lower than the control beverage, according to a 9-point Likert scale (x̅ = 4.5 – 4.9 and x̅ = 6.7, respectively). The second study (n=120): evaluated the comparative validity and reliability of the BEVQ-15 and UC within NCAA Division 1 collegiate athletes. Associations were noted between the BEVQ-15 and multiple 24-hr dietary recalls (reference method) for total beverage fl oz and kcal (r=0.41 and r=0.47, p<0.05, respectively). There were associations between athlete's UC and urinary specific gravity (USG; hydration biomarker) rated by athletes and researchers (r=0.67 and 0.88, p<0.05, respectively). Lastly, a systematic review was performed to evaluate original research addressing the validity of UC as a hydration biomarker in the adult population more broadly, including athletes and older adults. Eleven of 424 articles met inclusion criteria, and the available research generally reported significant correlations between UC and other hydration indices (r=0.35-0.93). However, limitations in existing research were evident. Although the BEVQ-15 may be a valid beverage intake assessment method in collegiate athletes, additional modifications were identified which could improve its validity. Future work includes re-evaluating the validity and reliability of the BEVQ-15 specifically modified for athletes, as well as assessing the sensitivity of this FFQ to detect changes in beverage intake. / Doctor of Philosophy / Drinking adequate amounts of fluids is important for maintaining normal bodily functions. When body water losses exceed fluid intake, dehydration may result, which can lead to numerous consequences such as headaches, dizziness, decreased mental focus, and fatigue. An athlete, who has high physical demands, may experience these negative consequences as well as muscle cramps, increased strain on the heart, and decreased athletic performance. Some beverages can replenish lost fluids better than others, due to their electrolyte (i.e. sodium, potassium, magnesium) content. This may include whey-permeate based beverages. In order to prevent dehydration, it is important to monitor fluid consumption and fluid losses. A beverage intake questionnaire (BEVQ-15) can be used to quickly assess usual beverage intake. Studies have shown that this questionnaire is accurate in children, adolescents, and adults. However, there are currently no validated methods for usual habitual beverage intake in athletes. This dissertation evaluated the taste of a new whey-permeate hydration beverage, and the accuracy and test-retest reliability of the BEVQ-15 within NCAA Division 1 collegiate athletes and found positive results. Measurements in urine and blood can be also be used to assess hydration status, but some of these methods are more expensive and less practical for daily use in real-world settings. Urine color (UC) has been studied as a hydration indicator, but this dissertation is the first to evaluate the accuracy and reliability of this method within a diverse group of collegiate athletes, in a real-world setting. Our results suggest that UC is a simple and reasonably accurate hydration assessment method when compared to another urinary assessment method. Nonetheless, there is limited research which has studied this topic. Future work can address methods to improve the effectiveness of these approaches for maintaining and evaluating fluid intake and status in the collegiate athletic population.

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In a survey sent to the senior women's administrator at all three hundred and thirty (N= 330) NCAA Division I intercollegiate athletic departments across the nation, this study examines the differences between Division I athletic department's having an eating disorder (ED) policy and those that that do not and the variables that lead to those differences. Over a 12-month period, from March 2004 through March 2005, one variable that this study addresses is whether having an ED policy influences the number of reported incidences. Likewise, another variable is whether education on ED for the student-athletes influences the number of reported incidences. Lastly, the final variable investigates those intercollegiate athletic departments that have other policies for their student-athletes such as alcohol, tobacco, and drug, and whether this influences having an ED policy. As the following research indicates, ED primarily affects the female gender. In addition, although ED are deemed a medical issue in which the head athletic trainer or the team physician is likely to work closely in treating the athlete, the senior women's administrator is chosen to complete the survey because of their gender, and this study focuses more on the policy itself, from an administrative prospective. For those universities surveyed who do not have such a policy, this paper examines the need, along with the legal responsibilities that intercollegiate athletic programs have toward their student-athletes concerning ED. / Ed. D.

The body composition of female collegiate athletes was measured using the Bod Pod® device. The sample consisted of 75 student athletes, aged 18 to 22 years old. Five sports at the university level were represented, including basketball, gymnastics, soccer, swimming & diving, and soccer. Participants were measured at the preseason and postseason periods. Overall, participants in all five sports were not found to change significantly in total body mass, fat mass, fat free mass, percent body fat, or body mass index from the preseason period to the postseason period at the alpha = 0.05 level. On average, the members from each of the different teams were found to be significantly different from each other for one or more variables. In general, basketball and volleyball players were found to be similar in body composition. The average member on the swimming & diving, soccer, and gymnastics teams was found to vary from the average team member on each of the other teams.

Abstract available in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research

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