Concordance of patient perceived sports bra size with objective measurement

Engineering of Sport 15 - Proceedings from the 15th International Conference on the Engineering of Sport (ISEA 2024)

Sports bras are an essential piece of sporting equipment for women to be able to participate comfortably in activity. The breasts sit atop of the chest with minimal anatomical support and move with multidirectional forces. This motion can lead to breast pain during activity, which is a commonly reported obstacle to physical activity for women. Dampening of these motions with suitable support for the breasts can enable women to participate in sport. However, in the limited data that exists on sports bra fit, it has been found that women wear ill-fitting bras more often than well-fitting bras. Furthermore, bra fit appropriateness has not been previously studied in an American cohort or in an adolescent population. Improved awareness of bra fit and sizing is essential to ensure appropriate development can be made for support apparel. Our hypothesis was that most women are not wearing appropriately fitting bras.