Features of sports bras that deter their use by Australian women

ObjectivesThis study aimed to identify features of commercially available sports bras that deter women from wearing them while participating in physical activity.DesignStudy results were obtained from a self-administered mail survey, which was posted to participants after gaining their verbal consent via random telephone recruitment.MethodsFour hundred and thirteen women aged 20–35 years were recruited from New South Wales, Australia, with 267 (65%) surveys returned.ResultsIt was found that the shoulder straps slipping or cutting into the shoulder were the two most disliked features of current sports bras, with 23% of respondents also indicating that the shoulder straps were the first bra feature to fail. Respondents also indicated that the perceived tightness of the sports bra around the chest was a deterrent for their use.ConclusionsAlthough previous research has found that a correctly fitted sports bra does not impede athletic performance, further research is required to investigate sports bra shoulder strap designs to improve wearer comfort without negatively affecting the ability of a sports bra to reduce breast motion and/or associated breast pain during participation in physical activity.