One hundred and fifteen adolescent females participated. The primary

outcome – bra knowledge – was measured on 108 (94%) participants (51 experimental, 57 control). However, while bra knowledge could be collected later on participants who missed training or competition sessions, bra tests could not. Therefore, bra fit and level of breast support was measured on 96 (83%) participants (46 experimental, 50 control) (Figure 1). The baseline characteristics of participants are presented in Table 1. The average bra size of the participants was Australian size 12B (band size range = 10–14; cup size range = A–DD cup.) One hundred percent of the experimental group find more reported reading the booklet AZD5363 mw before the 1-month follow-up. There were no reported adverse effects. Group data for all outcomes are presented in Table 2 and Table 3 while individual data are presented in Table 4 (see eAddenda for Table 4). At baseline, 98 (85%) participants failed to achieve 50% for bra knowledge. After reading the booklet, the experimental group scored 11% (95% CI 7 to 15) higher at one month and 19% (95% CI 14 to 25) higher at 4 months than the control group (Table 2). At baseline,

there was little bra discomfort in either group and little change over time despite the improvements in bra fit and level of breast support. There was little difference between the groups at 4 months (mean difference 0.2 out of 10, 95% CI-0.6 to 1.0) (Table 2). After reading the booklet, 39% (95% CI 19 to 54) more of the experimental group passed the Bra Fit test than the control group (Table 3). Similarly, 30% (95% CI 11 to 47) more passed the Bra Level of Support test than the control group. The high percentage of participants in the present study who failed the initial bra knowledge questionnaire confirms that there is a need to provide adolescent females

with education about correct breast support and bra fit. The significant improvement in bra knowledge post-intervention reveals that an intervention as much simple as a booklet provided by a physiotherapist, with strategies to encourage reading of the given material, can be effective in improving the knowledge of adolescent females about this important topic. The high level of compliance in participation in the study and in reading the material was attributed to the behavioural change strategies incorporated into the intervention. Therefore, such a booklet could be used by physiotherapists to educate adolescent females about effective breast support and bra fit. The low percentage of participants who passed the Bra Fit Assessment and Level of Breast Support tests at baseline suggests that adolescent females, like their adult counterparts (Greenbaum et al 2003, McGhee and Steele 2006, Pechter 1998), have a poor ability to choose and fit a bra appropriate to their breast size and level of physical activity.