Nutrition knowledge and selected nutritional practices of female recreational athletes

Female marathon runners and fitness-class participants took part in a study designed to assess the nutrition knowledge of these two groups of recreational athletes. I also evaluated selected nutritional practices and examined relationships between nutrition knowledge and several demographic and lifestyle variables, including physical activity. I mailed validated, pretested instruments to all female finishers of a recent marathon (n = 173) and to a 10% random sample of female members of a fitness club (n = 190). The average return rate was 64%. The distribution of the two groups by age and education was similar. Most respondents used vitamin/mineral supplements, and supplement use was significantly greater among semivegetarians than among those consuming meat. Runners scored significantly higher on the nutrition knowledge test than did fitness-class participants, a difference that was primarily due to runners' higher scores on questions related to nutrition and activity. I found significant, positive relationships between nutrition knowledge and years of education, the total number of sources of nutrition information, and the level of physical activity. In contrast, the total number of supplements used correlated negatively with scores on questions related to nutrition and physical activity.     

Nutrition knowledge of high school athletic coaches in Texas

A study was conducted by mail questionnaire to assess concepts of nutrition as related to athletes that coaches in Texas accept and are likely to disseminate. Background information included training in nutrition, sources of nutrition information, and frequency of distribution of dietary advice. Eighty-five percent of the coaches scored below 70% on knowledge of nutrition. Seventy-three percent, however, believed they were adequately informed about nutrition, and 86% dispense nutrition information regularly. Results of the study indicate a need for better nutrition education for high school athletic coaches.     

Nutritional intake from food sources of high school football athletes

Male high school football athletes served as subjects (no. = 134; age = 15.0 +/- 1.2 years, range = 12 to 18 years; weight = 67.7 +/- 13.9 kg) (mean +/- standard deviation) in a dietary survey project to characterize nutritional intake from food sources. Dietary intake data were collected using the recall method for 1 weekday during the summer when athletes participated in unsupervised, informal conditioning. Subjects were grouped by age as junior high (JR-HI: 12 to 14 years) or senior high (SR-HI: 15 to 18 years) students. Absolute mean energy and nutrient intakes, except for vitamin A, were statistically greater for SR-HI relative to JR-HI (p less than .02). These findings are consistent with age-related growth on nutritional intake. Mean nutritional intakes from food sources for SR-HI met or exceeded the RDAs. For JR-HI, mean intakes met or exceeded the RDAs except for energy (94% RDA) and zinc (87% RDA). Mean intakes exceeded those of a representative sample of same-age boys in the larger American population.     

Nutrition knowledge and food intake

In many studies, correlations between nutrition knowledge and dietary behaviour have failed to reach statistical significance, leading researchers to question the relevance of nutrition knowledge to food choice, and the value of nutrition education campaigns. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between knowledge and intake of fat, fruit and vegetables using a well-validated measure of nutrition knowledge. The study was a postal survey, using 1040 adult participants selected at random from General Practitioners' lists in England. Nutrition knowledge and food intake followed the expected demographic patterns. Knowledge was significantly associated with healthy eating, and the effect persisted after controlling for demographic variables. Logistic regression showed that respondents in the highest quintile for knowledge were almost 25 times more likely to meet current recommendations for fruit, vegetable and fat intake than those in the lowest quintile. Nutrition knowledge was shown to be a partial mediator of the socio-demographic variation in intake, especially for fruit and vegetables. This demonstrates the value of using more sophisticated statistical techniques to investigate associations between knowledge and food intake and indicates that knowledge is an important factor in explaining variations in food choice. The results support the likely value of including nutrition knowledge as a target for health education campaigns aimed at promoting healthy eating.     

Nutrition knowledge of female varsity athletes and university students

The objectives of this study were to compare the nutrition knowledge, including knowledge about nutrition in relation to physical activity, of female university students and members of varsity athletic teams and to document selected nutrition practices of those groups. Instruments developed for the study were completed by varsity athletes (no. = 70) and students not on teams (no. = 129). The two groups were similar in education, but the athletes were younger, taller, and heavier than the students and were considerably more active. The athletes used more nutritional supplements (especially iron) and were less likely to exclude red meat from their diet than were students. Scores on the knowledge test (which had a possible range of - 100% to 100%) averaged 34% for both team members and students. Both groups scored higher on general nutrition questions than on questions about nutrition in relation to activity. Among students, age, education, dietary pattern, total number of nutrition information sources, and length of time an activity program had been maintained were positively associated with nutrition knowledge. Those relationships were not detected among varsity athletes. It was concluded that female varsity athletes had levels of both general and sports-related nutrition knowledge that were similar to those of female students not participating on varsity teams.     

Nutrition knowledge and dietary practices of college coaches

The objectives of this study were to measure nutrition knowledge of college coaches, to identify educational and demographic factors that affect nutrition knowledge of college coaches, to describe dietary practices recommended by these coaches, and to identify major sources of nutrition information used by coaches. Questionnaires were mailed to 296 coaches of senior and junior colleges in North Carolina using a listing from the National Directory of College Athletics. Coaches of the following sports were included: track and field, cross country, swimming, tennis, basketball, gymnastics, golf, football, and wrestling. The response rate was 36%. Seventy percent of the 15 nutrition knowledge test items were answered correctly; however, only one-third of the coaches indicated a high degree of certainty for the correctness of their responses. There were no significant relationships between nutrition knowledge and sex, age, collegiate conference, course work in nutrition, win/loss record, and years of coaching experience. Major dietary problems of college athletes reported by coaches were consumption of "junk food," poor eating habits, and consumption of an unbalanced diet. The authors recommend an annual workshop for coaches, trainers, and dietitians to develop criteria for nutrition assessment and body composition for college athletes and to develop training diets. Special workshops for foodservice personnel are also recommended.     

Hazing of suburban middle school and high school athletes.

Little is known about the prevalence of hazing behaviors among adolescent athletes. Our survey of 1105 6th-12th grade athletes found that 17.4% had been subjected to practices that qualify as hazing. Many of these teenagers do not comprehend the abusive and potentially dangerous nature of hazing.     

Dieting practices in high school students

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this research was to determine the patterns and frequency of dieting behaviors in a high school population in a metropolitan area. DESIGN: Dieting practices were assessed by using a survey instrument consisting of demographic questions and questions regarding dieting practices. SUBJECTS/SETTING: The survey was administered to 10th-grade male and female students at a multiethnic, urban, public high school in the Los Angeles area. One hundred fifty-three surveys were distributed in the classroom setting, with 146 usable surveys analyzed. STATISTICAL ANALYSES: Statistical analyses included simple frequencies, chi 2, Fisher exact test, t tests, and two-way analysis of variance. A significance level of.05 was used for all statistical analyses. RESULTS: The population with a body mass index greater than 25 was 26.6% and, therefore, at risk of being overweight. Of those who have tried dieting, 54.7% often diet to control their weight. Limiting portion size was practiced by about 34% of those who had tried dieting techniques. In addition, counting calories and counting grams of fat were reported by 31.4% and 41.9% of these students, respectively. Of interest, 64.8% of the students who had tried dieting reported that they tried to eat and/or purchase foods that were low in fat. Approximately, 44% of these students used meal skipping to control their weight. CONCLUSIONS: The high prevalence of dieting behaviors suggests that urban adolescents should be reached with appropriate interventions. Safe dieting strategies should be an integral part of any nutrition education and weight loss intervention.     

Nutritional knowledge, attitudes, and food patterns of women athletes

Nutritional knowledge, attitudes, and food patterns of women athletes at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln were studied. Mean test scores for nutritional knowledge were higher for questions relating to "nutrition for the athlete" than to "general nutrition." Attitudes toward nutrition were generally favorable, with a positive correlation between nutritional knowledge and attitudes. Athletes who had received some form of nutrition education had higher nutritional knowledge and attitude scores than those who had not. Respondents were especially concerned with diet as it relates to weight control; those with higher knowledge scores consistently followed food patterns for weight-control diets similar to those used in training and pre-event diets.     

Nutrition knowledge and dietary composition in Italian adolescent female athletes and non-athletes

This study aims to investigate dietary composition and nutrition knowledge of 60 athlete and 59 non-athlete adolescent females (age, 14-18 years), using a 3-day food recall and a questionnaire on nutrition. The reported daily energy intake was similar in athletes and non-athletes, but less than the recommended and the estimated requirements. In the athletes, the energy supply from breakfast was higher than in the non-athletes (18.5 +/- 6.6 vs. 15.0 +/- 8.2%, p < .005). Energy intake from carbohydrates was higher (53.6 +/- 6.2 vs. 49.8 +/- 6.3%, p < .05) and that from lipids was lower (30.4 +/- 5.5 vs. 34.2 +/- 5.2%, p < .001) in athletes than in non-athletes. Athletes also showed higher fiber (20.0 +/- 5.8 vs. 14.1 +/- 4.3 g/day, p < .001), iron (10.6 +/- 5.1 vs. 7.5 +/- 2.1 mg/day, p < .001) and vitamin A (804 +/- 500 vs. 612 +/- 456 micrograms/day, p < .05) reported intake than non-athletes. Calcium, iron, and zinc intake were less than 100% RDA in both groups. Athletes gave a slightly higher rate of correct answers on the nutrition knowledge questionnaire (77.6 vs. 71.6%, p < .01) than non-athletes. In conclusion, the overall recalled dietary intake and nutrition knowledge of the studied adolescent females show some misconceptions and nutrient deficiencies, but the results in athletes are quite better than in non-athletes, suggesting a favorable role of sport practice on dietary habits and nutrition knowledge.     

Food safety knowledge and practices in ready-to-eat food establishments

Safe food handling in ready-to-eat food establishments is a basic element in the reduction of foodborne illness. The aim of this research was to investigate (using a questionnaire), knowledge and attitudes about food safety held by management and staff in ready-to-eat food establishments. Fieldwork was conducted in 2002 in Wellington City, New Zealand. Managers rated 'staff with good food safety knowledge' the most important aspect of ensuring safe food. Half of these managers were prepared to pay higher wages to staff holding a current food safety certificate. Although respondents considered that closure of the establishment was the most serious business consequence of a breakdown in safe food handling, less than half (49%) were prepared to pay an additional insurance premium to cover this risk. All food handling workers should be encouraged to obtain and maintain a current food safety certificate. Environmental health officers who inspect ready-to-eat food establishments play an important role in guiding and assisting owners and staff in improving food handling standards.     

维吾尔族中学生及其家长营养知识水平调查

目的 了解新疆乌鲁木齐市维吾尔族家长对中学生营养知识态度的影响,为改善中学生的营养知识、态度和行为提供依据.方法 采用随机整群抽样方法抽取乌鲁木齐市4所中学的维吾尔族中学生及其家长各427人,采用自制问卷进行相关调查.结果 学生营养知识(满分15分)平均得分为(4.04±1.95)分,高于家长营养知识得分的(3.40±1.87)分,差异有统计学意义(t=5.30,P＜0.05);父亲职业为脑力型、半脑力型学生的营养知识得分分别为(4.22±1.94)、(4.38±2.04)分,均高于父亲职业是体力型学生营养知识得分的(3.57±1.73)分,差异有统计学意义(t =4.73、5.28,P＜0.05);父亲学历为高中、大专及以上的学生知识得分分别为(4.21±2.183)、(4.58±1.831)分,高于父亲学历为初中的学生知识得分(3.48±1.812)分,差异有统计学意义(t=2.81、4.46,P＜0.05);学生营养知识得分影响因素为母亲的学历和是否是独生子女.结论 乌鲁木齐市维吾尔族学生和家长的整体营养知识水平偏低,学生营养知识水平的影响因素有家长的营养知识水平和家庭结构.     

Dietary practices of high school teachers of nutrition

To examine the application of nutrition knowledge in a sample of nutrition educators, we investigated the dietary practices of 71 high school health and home economics teachers who were currently teaching nutrition. They kept four-day food records and filled out food-frequency questionnaires. Group means of female teachers met or exceeded the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) for seven of the eight nutrients investigated; mean iron intake was 66% of the RDA. Group means of males met the RDAs for the nutrients investigated except thiamin, which had a mean of 89% of the RDA. Teachers' diets were more nutrient dense for calcium, vitamin A, and ascorbic acid than were the diets of adults surveyed in the Health and Nutrition Examination Survey I (HANES I) and the Nationwide Food Consumption Survey (NFCS). Except for iron for females, inadequate intakes of individual teachers generally were related to low caloric intakes. Teachers incorporated many current dietary recommendations in their personal praices, such as eating several servings of fruits and vegetables daily, including several servings of dairy products daily, limiting cholesterol intake, and limiting sweets. However, the teachers' mean percentage of calories from fat exceeded the current recommendation. Generally, these teachers applied their nutrition knowledge to their personal dietary practices and thus serve as role models who “practice what they preach”.     

Nutrition for athletes

Athletes require appropriate body composition, power to move and stamina. The paper discusses the role of “good nutrition” in relation to these objectives during training and prior, during and after the event, emphasising the basic principles involved.