- Stride, A. Fitzgerald, H., Marks, K., et al. (2024). Building and Preserving Primary School Girls’ Confidence through Physical Activity Evaluation of M2: Where Movement and Mindfulness Meet (Leeds, West Yorkshire: 2024). Centre for Social Justice in Sport and Society, Leeds Beckett University.
- Australian Associated Press. (2024, February 27). ASICS study confirms positive link between exercise and women’s mental health, yet worryingly over half of women around the world are dropping out or stopping exercise completely.
- Massey, W. V., Veliz, P. T., Zarrett, N., & Farello, A. (2024). Thriving through sport: The transformative impact on girls’ mental health. Women’s Sport Foundation.
- Sotiriou, C. (2024, August 26). Preventing gender-based violence in sport: strategies and interventions. International Sport and Culture Association.
- Deng, X. (2024). Cheerleading and body image: Exploring the relationship between confidence and health in college women through cheerleading. Applied & Educational Psychology 5. 1-6. DOI:
- Liu, X., Du, Q., Fan, H. et al. (2024). The impact of square dancing on psychological well-being and life satisfaction among aging women. Scientific Reports, 14, 10405.
- Donnelly, J., Macrae, E., Valentin, S., et al. (2024). Coaches’ ability to support elite and adolescent soccer players throughout their menstrual cycle. International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching.
- Spaaij, R., Ravi, A., Magee, J., et al. (2024). 'Our right to play': How Afghan women navigate constraints, agency, and aspirations on and off the soccer field. American Behavioral Scientist.
- Litchfield, C., Dionigi, R. A., Osborne, J., et al. (2024). Exclusion, belonging and mental wellness: The sporting and physically active leisure experiences of women in rural Australia. Annals of Leisure Research, 1–22.
- Gibbons, A. E., Thorpe, H., Hemi, K. V., et al. (2024). 'It’s such a taboo subject, everybody’s scared to talk about it': Fijian sportswomen’s experiences of menstruation. Journal of Sport and Social Issues.
- Horn, K. E. & Harris, S. T. (2024). Predictors of pregnancy disclosure in national collegiate athletic association Division III athletes. Journal of Athletic Training, 59(8), 830–835.
- Kmiotek, W., Oronowicz, R., Różańska-Smuszkiewicz, G., et al. (2024). Effects of intense exercise on pregnancy: A review of the literature. Quality in Sport, 17, 53018.
- Skaliy, A., Skaliy, T., Kuangaliyeva, T., et al. (2024). The influence of complex motor activities on the morphofunctional and psychoemotional state of elderly people from different countries of Europe and Asia. Slobozhanskyi Herald of Science and Sport, 28(2), 92-99.
- Linhares, D., da Silva, G. C. P. S. M., Meireles, A. S. et al. (2024). Self-esteem and body image in older women practicing taekwondo with low bone density: A randomized clinical trial. Current Aging Science.
- Martin, M. R. (2024). Examining RED-S knowledge and current practices in athletic trainers and coaches of adolescent female athletes. [Masters thesis]. University of Pittsburgh.
- Roylance, T. K. C. (2024). Self-determination towards regular exercise relates to quality of life in female college students with at least one child. [Masters Thesis]. Brigham Young University.
- Perry, C. (2024). Mental health and elite women footballers in England: Tensions and challenges in a time of transition. [Doctoral thesis]. University of Central Lancashire.
- Wilkins, L., Benallal, N., Allen, P. M., et al. (2024). Expectations and disadvantages: A case study approach exploring the mental health challenges of elite, student-athlete women. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 1–22. doi.org/10.1080/1612197X.2024.2400900
- Theran , K. M. D., Contreras , B. F. P., Santamaría-Campo, S. K., et al. (2024). Perspectives and importance of social sports in women with experiences of gender violence. Journal of Ecohumanism, 3(8). doi.org/10.62754/joe.v3i8.4821
- Leonzio, M. (2024). Body related well-being and body composition in women athletes. [Masters thesis]. University of Saskatchewan Saskatoon.
Intervening early for safety & wellbeing
Explore our global research articles, industry announcements and industry reports as we identify early intervention strategies to promote safety and wellbeing in women’s sports.
Latest quarterly reports
Research
- Jones, P. A., Brockwell, E., Dufour, S., Hassan, A., Matenchuk, B. A., & Davenport, M. H. (2025). What are the Risks of Contact Sport During Pregnancy: A Survey-Based Investigation. Sports Medicine, 1-14. Background https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-025-02262-x
- Titova, J., Davenport, M. H., Ames, K., & Hayman, M. (2025). Navigating preconception and pregnancy in elite athletes: insights from Australian elite female athletes, athlete support staff and sport organisational staff. British Journal of Sports Medicine. https://bitly.cx/fQvnV
Industry insights on intervening early for safety & wellbeing
- Garry, T., (2025, May 13). New research into menstrual cycles offers hope of reducing ACL injuries. The Guardian.
Research on intervening early for safety & wellbeing
- Geoghegan, R., Balderas, E., & Bacon, C. E. W. (2025). Advancing Care for Pregnant and Postpartum Athletes: A Call to Action for Athletic Trainers. Journal of Athletic Training.
Research articles for intervening early for safety & wellbeing
- Abdulhady Elhabiby, H. (2025). The Effectiveness of Zumba Exercise inside the aquatic environment in the face of stress professionalism and improving the quality of working women career. The Scientific Journal of Sport Science & Arts. https://ijssa.journals.ekb.eg/article_404373.html?lang=en
- Johnson, K. L., Adam, M. E. K., Kowalski, K. C., et al. (2025). ‘But having someone, kind of, walk you through what to do … ’: exploring women athletes’ preferences for learning and practicing self-compassion. Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/2159676X.2025.2461994
- Rodríguez-López, E. S., Martín-Márquez, L. M., Acevedo-Gómez, M. B., et al. (2025). Which Positions Optimize Pelvic Floor Activation in Female Athletes? Life, 15(1), 58. https://doi.org/10.3390/life15010058
2024
Research, reports & insights
2023
Research, reports & insights
- Sport New Zealand. (2023, May 29). Balanced Female Health.
- Thomas, E. (2023, June 5). PAUSE-Cardio: Moderate-intensity exercise intervention for women's sport student-athletes transitioning into college and collegiate sport. University of Carolina. doi.org/10.17615/dn5b-9f93
- Renfree, G. (2023). Redressing the Balance: Women in Sport and Exercise Academic Network Conference, University of Worcester, United Kingdom, April 19–22, 2021. Women in Sport and Physical Activity Journal.
- Oliver, B. (2023, April 26). Exclusive: Angry women weightlifters say "if we must wear a bra, so must men". Inside the Games.
- Spencer, C. (2023, April 11). Women’s sports kits are over-sexualised and not period proof. If this affected men, it would be fixed by now. The Guardian.
- Cassidy, C. (2023, April 4). Matildas unveil first period-conscious kit design for Women’s World Cup. The Guardian.
- Shalala, A. (2023, March 19). 'Losing your period is not healthy': Athletes want more understanding of women's health. ABC News.
- Clark, S. & Sayers, E. (2023). Skateparks as communities of care: The role of skateboarding in girls’ and non-binary youth’s mental health recovery during lockdown. Pedagogy, Culture & Society. DOI: 10.1080/14681366.2023.2258382
- Johansson, H., Malmborg, J.S., Ekengren, J., et al. (2023). Skating on thin ice? Mental health and well-being in women’s ice hockey. BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine, 9. e001746. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjsem-2023-001746
- Wilhelmsen, L. (2023). Young and burned out – the dilemma of women’s elite football. Early termination of the football career for elite women footballers in Norway caused by a high degree of emotional and interpersonal stressors. Soccer & Society. DOI:10.1080/14660970.2023.2262925
- Wolverton, J. & Dobersek, U. (2023). Affective forecasting and social physique anxiety among female athletes: A pilot study. The Sport Journal, 24.
- Camerson, S. J. & Grano, D. A. (2023). “That stuff can be ugly:” Black women in sport, stigma, and public mental health disclosures. Communication Studies, 74(6), 532-551, DOI:10.1080/10510974.2023.2247609
- Del Bianco, M., Lovecchio, N., Pirazzi, A. et al. (2023). Self-reported physical activity level, emotions, feelings and self-perception of older active women: is the water-based exercise a better enhancer of psychophysical condition? Sport Sciences for Health, 19, 1311–1317. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11332-023-01094-4
- McGee, C. S. (2023). Psychological Maltreatment and Retired, Competitive, Women Athletes’ Conformity to Sport [Dissertation]. University of Toronto.
- Kelly, E. L., Minehan, M., & Pumpa, K. (2023). Maximal strength training as a pathway to positive body image: A qualitative exploration of the experiences of female powerlifters. Women in Sport and Physical Activity Journal. doi.org/10.1123/wspaj.2022-0088
- van Niekerk, M., Matzkin, E. & Christino, M. A. (2023). Psychological aspects of return to sport for the female athlete. Arthroscopy, Sports Medicine, and Rehabilitation. 100738.
- McGawley, K., Sargent, D., Noordhof, D., et al. (2023). Improving menstrual health literacy in sport. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 26(7). 351 – 357.
- Guzmán, J. F. (2023). Women can transfer their ability to cope with stress from sport to academic contexts. European Journal of Human Movement, 50. doi.org/10.21134/eurjhm.2023.50.8
- Thorpe, H., Jeffrey, A. & Fullagar, S. (2023). Re-turning to fitness ‘riskscapes’ post lockdown: Feminist materialisms, wellbeing and affective respondings in Aotearoa New Zealand. Gender, Place & Culture.
- Liu, M. (2023). How yoga influences mental wellness for female college students. Journal of Education, Humanities and Social Sciences, 10, 182–190.
- Wheatley, C., Batey, M., Denovan, A., et al. (2023). Mental toughness in the Football Association Women’s Super League: Relationships with playing experience, perceptions of club infrastructure, support mechanisms and self-esteem. PLOS One.
- Liston, R., Hamilton, G. & McCook, S. (2023). How do representatives from sporting organisations understand primary prevention of violence against women? Crime Prevention and Community Safety.
- Willson, E., & Kerr, G. (2023). Gender-based violence in girls’ sports. Adolescents, 3(2), 278–289.
- Schneider, J., Matheson, E.L., Tinoco, A., et al. (2023). Body confident coaching: A pilot randomized controlled trial evaluating the acceptability of a web-based body image intervention for coaches of adolescent girls. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology.
- Piatkowski, T., Robertson, J., Lamon, S. et al. (2023). Gendered perspectives on women’s anabolic–androgenic steroid (AAS) usage practices. Harm Reduction Journal 20. 56.
- Arenas-Pareja M., López-Sierra P., Ibáñez S.J., et al. (2023). Influence of menstrual cycle on internal and external load in professional women basketball players. Healthcare, 11(6). 822.
- Sims, S.T., Kerksick, C.M., Smith-Ryan, A.E., et al. (2023). International society of sports nutrition position stand: Nutritional concerns of the female athlete. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 20(1), 2204066.
- Colenso-Semple, L.M., D’Souza, A.C., Elliott-Sale., K.J., et al. (2023). Current evidence shows no influence of women's menstrual cycle phase on acute strength performance or adaptations to resistance exercise training. Frontiers in Sport and Active Living, 5.
- Hamilton, H.M., Mariano, M. & Kakar, R.S. (2023). Prevalence and associated factors of urinary incontinence in female recreational runners. Journal of Women's & Pelvic Health Physical Therapy 47(2), 75-89.
- Parr, R.E., Jones, E., Figuers, C., et al. (2023). Relationship of sport variables on stress urinary incontinence in nulliparous collegiate athletes. Journal of Women's & Pelvic Health Physical Therapy 47(2), 96-102.
- Ben Zvi, M., Arad Cohen, M., Friedman, M., et al. (2023). Urinary incontinence in parous women practicing non-extreme competitive sports compared to the general population. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 12(8), 2803.