Ayar, MuttalipAtar, AslihanSahin, Irem NurOzbey, Fatih2026-01-312026-01-3120252055-0928https://doi.org./10.1186/s40795-025-01058-6https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12662/10763Background This study investigated the risks of eating disorders in sports where weight control is critical, focusing on apprentice jockeys and wrestlers. Method A total of 31 apprentice jockeys and 22 wrestlers, aged 15 to 19, participated in the study. To evaluate eating behaviors, participants completed the Eating Attitudes Test-26 (EAT-26) and the ORTO-15 test. The EAT-26 assessed the risk of disordered eating, with scores of 20 or above indicating high risk, while ORTO-15 scores below 40 suggested a risk of unhealthy eating obsession. Data were analyzed using SPSS 25.0, with a significance level set at p < 0.05. Results The results showed a significant difference in the EAT-26 mean scores between apprentice jockeys and wrestlers (p = 0.034). Apprentice jockeys had higher mean scores (15.97 +/- 9.72) than wrestlers (11.05 +/- 9.19), with 25.8% of apprentice jockeys and 13.6% of wrestlers classified as having high risk for eating disorders. Subdomain analysis revealed that bulimic and oral control behaviors were similar between groups (p > 0.05), but dieting scores were significantly higher among apprentice jockeys (p = 0.004). According to the ORTO-15 results, 67.7% of apprentice jockeys and 81.8% of wrestlers scored below 40, indicating a high prevalence of healthy eating behaviors, with no significant difference between the groups (p = 0.562). Conclusion These findings highlight the heightened risk of eating disorders in weight-control sports, particularly among apprentice jockeys who compete more frequently than wrestlers. Increased dieting among jockeys may raise their vulnerability to disordered eating. Classifying wrestling and horse racing as weight-class sports may encourage athletes to adopt healthier food choices.eninfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessApprentice jockeyWrestlingEating habitsDisordered eating behaviorArticle10.1186/s40795-025-01058-62-s2.0-105003118730140234941Q211WOS:001468038700001Q3