RESEARCH OPPORTUNITY: FEMALE ATHLETES AFFECTED BY WOMEN'S HEALTH ISSUES

Open University student Louise Miles invites athletes who are between the ages of 18 and 40 and have either competed for Great Britain at senior international level or who receive UK Sport funding to take part in research into the psychological impact of women’s health issues.

From Louise Miles:

Dear athletes,

I am a student at the Open University studying MSc Psychology (Conversion) and am doing my final-year project: ‘How elite female athletes are affected by women’s health issues: An interpretative phenomenological analysis’. I am hoping to discover how elite female athletes manage the psychological impact of women’s health issues on sporting performance and identify strategies used to manage that impact. This can include a regular or medication-regulated menstrual cycle or any female health conditions, such as endometriosis or PCOS. Women’s health and mental wellbeing are areas I am very passionate about, and I feel these are not often explored together within research on elite sport.

I am looking to interview current athletes who are between the ages of 18 and 40 and have either competed for Great Britain at senior international level or who receive UK Sport funding. Participants will need to complete a 45-60 minute interview over Zoom. All data will be completely anonymous, you are free to skip any question you do not wish to answer, pause the interview at any time or withdraw consent and your data without giving a reason. All quotes will be anonymised.

If you would like to take part in this project, please email louise.miles@ou.ac.uk. Any questions can also be sent to louise.miles@ou.ac.uk.

This study is not suitable for individuals who are currently experiencing significant mental health difficulties or who are receiving ongoing support for specific learning differences that may affect participation in an interview‑based study.

Many thanks for your time and I hope to hear from you,
Louise Miles