scholarly journals Development and Implementation of a Nutrition Knowledge Questionnaire for Ultraendurance Athletes

Author(s):  
Claire Blennerhassett ◽  
Lars R. McNaughton ◽  
Lorcan Cronin ◽  
S. Andy Sparks

The nutritional intake of ultraendurance athletes is often poorly matched with the requirements of the sport. Nutrition knowledge is a mediating factor to food choice that could correct such imbalances. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to develop and validate a questionnaire to assess the nutrition knowledge of ultraendurance athletes. Nutritional knowledge was assessed using a modified sports nutrition knowledge questionnaire (ULTRA-Q). Four independent assessors with specialization in sports nutrition confirmed the content validity of the ULTRA-Q. Registered sports nutritionists, registered dietitians, and those without nutrition training completed the ULTRA-Q on two separate occasions. After the first completion, a significant difference in nutrition scores between groups (p ≤ .001) provided evidence of construct validity. After the second completion, intraclass correlation coefficients comparing nutrition scores between time points (.75–.95) provided evidence of test–retest reliability. Subsequently, experienced ultraendurance athletes (male: n = 74 and female: n = 27) completed the ULTRA-Q. Athletes also documented their sources of nutrition knowledge for ultraendurance events. The total nutrition knowledge score for ultraendurance athletes was 68.3% ± 9.5%, and there were no significant differences in knowledge scores between males and females (67.4% ± 9.6% and 70.7% ± 9.3%, respectively) or between runners and triathletes (69.1% ± 9.7% and 65.1% ± 9.4%, respectively). In general, it appeared that ultraendurance athletes favored other athletes (73%) over nutrition experts (8%) as a source of nutritional information. The findings of this study indicate that ultraendurance athletes had a reasonable level of nutrition knowledge, but interathlete variability suggests a need for targeted nutrition education.

Author(s):  
Steven Couture ◽  
Benoit Lamarche ◽  
Eliane Morissette ◽  
Veronique Provencher ◽  
Pierre Valois ◽  
...  

The objectives of this study were to evaluate high school coaches’ knowledge in sports nutrition and the nutritional practices they recommend to their athletes. Forty-seven high school coaches in “leanness” and “non-leanness” sports from the greater region of Quebec (women = 44.7%) completed a questionnaire on nutritional knowledge and practices. “Leanness sports” were defined as sports where leanness or/and low bodyweight were considered important (e.g., cheerleading, swimming and gymnastics), and “non-leanness sports” were defined as sports where these factors are less important (e.g., football). Participants obtained a total mean score of 68.4% for the nutrition knowledge part of the questionnaire. More specifically, less than 30% of the coaches could answer correctly some general nutrition questions regarding carbohydrates and lipids. No significant difference in nutrition knowledge was observed between coaches from “leanness” and “non-leanness” sports or between men and women. Respondents with a university education scored higher than the others (73.3% vs. 63.3%, p < .05). Coaches who participated in coaching certification also obtained better results than those without a coaching certification. The most popular source of information about nutrition used by coaches was the Internet at 55%. The two most popular nutrition practices that coaches recommended to improve athlete performance were hydration and consumption of protein-rich foods. Recommendation for nutritional supplements use was extremely rare and was suggested only by football coaches, a nonleanness sport. Findings from this study indicate that coaches need sports nutrition education and specific training.


2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marquitta C. Webb ◽  
Safiya E. Beckford

Purpose. To investigate the level of nutrition knowledge and attitude of adolescent male and female swimmers training competitively in Trinidad and Tobago.Methodology. A self-administered questionnaire, which consisted of 21 nutrition knowledge and 11 attitude statements, was utilized to assess the level of nutrition knowledge and attitude of adolescent swimmers. For the assessment of nutrition knowledge, correct answers were given a score of “1” and incorrect answers were given a score of “0.” For the evaluation of attitude towards nutrition, a score ranging from 1 to 5 was assigned to each response; “5” was given to the most positive response, and “1” was given to the most negative. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 21.0.Results. Two hundred and twenty swimmers with a mean age of14.56±2.544completed the questionnaire. The mean nutrition knowledge score was10.97±2.897and mean attitude score was41.69±6.215. Nutrition knowledge was positively and significantly related to the number of reported nutrition sources (r=0.172,P=0.005). Nutrition knowledge was positively and significantly related to the attitude (r=0.130,P=0.027).Conclusions and Implication. Athletes lack nutrition knowledge but have a positive attitude towards nutrition, which may indicate receptiveness to future nutrition education.


Author(s):  
John Murphy ◽  
James O’Reilly

The current study investigated the association between sports nutrition knowledge and dietary quality in a sample of adult Irish male hurling players. Nutrition knowledge was measured by the validated Sports Nutrition Knowledge Questionnaire (SNKQ). Diet quality was measured by the Australian Recommended Food Score (ARFS) calculated from food frequency questionnaire data. Analysis of variance and linear modelling were used to assess associations between variables. A total of 265 (129 elite, 136 sub-elite) players were recruited. No significant difference in nutrition knowledge (SNKQ) was found between groups. Results showed a significant difference (p = 0.02; d = 0.39 ± 0.25; small) in food score (ARFS) between groups. A weak, positive association (r = 0.3, p = 0.007) was found between nutrition knowledge and food score. Elite level players, aged 28–32, with college degrees, that have previously received nutritional guidance displayed the highest levels of both nutrition knowledge and food score. Higher levels of nutrition knowledge and food score were expected in elite players, however were only found in food score. Nutrition knowledge does contribute to dietary quality although future interventions should focus on specific gaps in knowledge such as how to meet total energy/carbohydrate requirements.


Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 2713
Author(s):  
Weelun Foo ◽  
Mark A. Faghy ◽  
Andy Sparks ◽  
Josh W. Newbury ◽  
Lewis A. Gough

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of a seven-week nutrition education intervention on the sports nutrition knowledge (SNK) of highly trained UK adolescent swimmers. Fifteen national and international adolescent swimmers (males = 5; females = 10, 15.5 ± 1.1 years, 170.2 ± 7.5 cm, 60.3 ± 5.7 kg) participated in the study during seven consecutive weeks of the competitive swimming season. The participants received 30 min of nutrition education once per week in a classroom-based setting after they had completed their regular swim training. An undergraduate sports nutrition student delivered all nutrition education sessions and SNK questionnaires were administered to the participants pre- and post-intervention. The mean total SNK score improved by 8.3% (SD = 8.4%, 95% CI = 4.1–12.6; p = 0.006; ES = 1.0) following the nutrition education sessions. On an individual basis, ten swimmers significantly improved their total SNK score, whereas four swimmers did not improve, and one swimmer performed significantly worse after the intervention. Moreover, the swimmers’ knowledge of hydration improved by 22.2% (SD = 20.6%, 95% CI = 11.8–32.6, p = 0.004, ES = 1.1) over the seven-week timeframe, which was the only nutrition topic to have a significantly increased knowledge score. The current study therefore suggests that a nutrition education intervention can positively influence the SNK of highly trained adolescent swimmers.


Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 1081
Author(s):  
Luke O’Brien ◽  
Kieran Collins ◽  
Farzad Amirabdollhian

Nutrition intake plays a crucial role in improving athletic performance, enhancing adaptations to training, and augmenting recovery from exercise. However, research has reported that Gaelic footballers consistently fail to meet energy and carbohydrate recommendations. Sports nutrition knowledge (SNK) can influence the dietary intake of athletes, and therefore has the potential to have a significant impact on athletic performance. The aim of this study was to investigate the current level of SNK in elite Gaelic footballers (n = 100). An online version of the Nutrition for Sport Knowledge Questionnaire (NSKQ) was used to assess sports SNK. The overall mean SNK scores for Gaelic footballers and practitioners were 47.6 ± 12.3% and 78.1 ± 8.3%, respectively. There were no differences in knowledge between age groups, education level or divisional status. The top three sources of nutrition information identified by participants were team dietitian/nutritionists (84.0%), athletic trainers/strength and conditioning coaches (73%), and social media (37%). The results show that there is a major gap in the SNK of Gaelic footballers, while practitioners demonstrated a promising SNK, that could support Gaelic footballers. There is a need for development of interventions and knowledge transfer partnerships, including more effective methods of educating Gaelic footballers and translating sports nutrition principles to players. Developing appropriate nutritional education strategies using online resources and mobile applications could help to improve nutritional knowledge and practice of Gaelic footballers.


2020 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Ryan Tam ◽  
Kathryn Beck ◽  
Justin Newton Scanlan ◽  
Tanya Hamilton ◽  
Tania Prvan ◽  
...  

Abstract Reliable and valid assessment of sports nutrition knowledge can inform athlete nutrition education to address knowledge gaps. This study aimed to test the reliability and validity of an electronically administered sports nutrition knowledge tool – Platform to Evaluate Athlete Knowledge of Sports Nutrition Questionnaire (PEAKS-NQ). A 94-item PEAKS-NQ was piloted to 149 developmental athletes (DA) in New Zealand, with a subset invited to complete the PEAKS-NQ again to assess reliability. Reliability was evaluated using sign test, intraclass correlation and Cronbach’s α. Accredited sports dietitians (ASD; n 255) completed the PEAKS-NQ to establish construct validity via known-groups methodology and provided relevance scores to determine the scale content validity index (S-CVI). Rasch analysis was conducted to identify potentially problematic items and test reliability. Score differences between DA and ASD were analysed using independent t or non-parametric tests. DA (n 88) were 17·8 (sd 1·4) years, 61·4 % female and mostly in high school (94·3 %). ASD (n 45) were 37·8 (sd 7·6) years, 82·2 % female, with >5 years of dietetic experience (59·1 %). ASD scored higher than DA in all sections and overall (91·5 (sd 3·4) v. 67·1 (sd 10·5) %) (P < 0·001). There were no differences between retests (n 18; P = 0·14). Cronbach’s α was 0·86. S-CVI indicated good content validity (0·88). Rasch analysis resulted in a fifty-item PEAKS-NQ with high item (0·91) and person (0·92) reliability. The PEAKS-NQ is reliable and valid for assessing sports nutrition knowledge which could assist practitioners effectively tailor and evaluate nutrition education.


2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 760-771
Author(s):  
Gürkan Yılmaz ◽  
Ramazan Şeker ◽  
Emrah Şengür

The aim of the study is to determine the athlete nutrition knowledge level of the students educated at Hatay Mustafa Kemal University School of Physical Education and Sports. A total of 286 students, 156 male, and 130 female, between the ages of 18-25 participated in the study voluntarily. The Sports Nutrition Knowledge Questionnaire (NSKQ) was used to determine the athletes' nutrition knowledge levels of the students. The Independent T-test was used to compare the groups, and the One-Way ANOVA test was used to determine the difference between the departments. As a result of the analysis, both men and women were in the weak knowledge group in the classification of nutritional knowledge. No difference was found in the comparison of the nutritional knowledge scores according to the gender variable. In the comparison of the nutritional knowledge scores according to the status of taking a nutrition course, a significant difference was determined for both the total score and the sub-variables (weight control, macronutrients, micronutrients, sports nutrition, supplement, alcohol), and it was determined that the difference was in favor of the students who took the nutrition course. It was determined that this difference was in favor of the students who took nutrition lessons. It was also determined that there was a significant difference in the sub-dimension of macronutrients in the comparison of sports nutrition knowledge scores according to the departments, and the difference was in favor of the department of recreation. When comparing the nutritional knowledge scores of male and female students according to the department variable, it was determined that there was a difference in the sub-dimension of macronutrients and this difference was in favor of the department of recreation in men and in favor of teaching department students in women. As a result, it was revealed that the nutritional knowledge level of the students in the School of Physical Education and Sports was weak. In their professional lives, it is thought that increasing the hours of compulsory nutrition lessons will be beneficial for education to be at the desired level in nutrition. ​Extended English summary is in the end of Full Text PDF (TURKISH) file.   Özet Çalışmanın amacı Hatay Mustafa Kemal Üniversitesi Beden Eğitimi ve Spor Yüksekokulunda (BESYO) eğitime-öğrenim gören öğrencilerin sporcu beslenme bilgi düzeylerinin belirlenmesidir.   Çalışmaya 18-25 yaş arası 156 erkek, 130 kadın olmak üzere toplam 286 öğrenci, gönüllü olarak katılmıştır. Öğrencilerin sporcu beslenme bilgi düzeylerinin belirlenmesi için Sporcu Beslenme Bilgisi Ölçeği (SBBÖ) kullanılmıştır. Grupların karşılaştırılmasında Independent T testi, bölümler arasında farkın belirlemesinde ise One Way ANOVA testi kullanılmıştır. Analiz sonucunda hem erkekler hem de kadınlar beslenme bilgi sınıflandırılmasında zayıf bilgi grubunda yer almışlardır. Cinsiyet değişkenine göre beslenme bilgi puanlarının karşılaştırılmasında fark saptanmamıştır. Beslenme bilgi puanlarının beslenme dersi alma durumuna göre karşılaştırılmasında, hem toplam puan hem de alt değişkenler (ağırlık kontrolü, makro besin öğeleri, mikro besin öğeleri, sporcu beslenmesi, supleman, alkol) için anlamlı fark belirlenmiş, farkın beslenme dersi alan öğrenciler lehine olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Bölümlere göre sporcu beslenme bilgi puan karşılaştırılmasında makro besin öğeleri alt boyutunda anlamlı fark olduğu farkın rekreasyon bölümü lehine olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Erkek ve kadın öğrencilerin bölüm değişkenine göre beslenme bilgi puan karşılaştırılmasında makro besin öğeleri alt boyutunda fark olduğu farkın erkeklerde rekreasyon kadınlarda ise öğretmenlik bölümü öğrencileri lehine olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Sonuç olarak, BESYO’da öğrencilerin beslenme bilgi düzeylerinin zayıf olduğu, mesleki hayatlarında beslenme konusunda istenilen seviyelerde olmaları için zorunlu beslenme dersi saatlerinin arttırılmasının eğitime faydalı olacağı düşünülmektedir.


Author(s):  
Brooke L. Devlin ◽  
Regina Belski

Nutrition knowledge is believed to influence nutritional intake, which in turn influences performance in elite athletes. There is currently no published data on the nutrition knowledge of elite Australian Football (AF) players. The purpose of this study was to gain insight into the current level of general and sports nutrition knowledge in elite male AF athletes. Forty six elite male AF players (23.5 ± 2.8 years) answered 123 questions relating to five areas of nutrition knowledge: dietary recommendations, sources of nutrients, choosing everyday foods, alcohol and sports nutrition. Demographic details and perceptions of nutrition knowledge were collected for all participants. The mean nutrition knowledge score was 74.4 ± 10.9 (60.5%). The highest score was obtained in sports nutrition section (17.9 ± 3.0, 61.7%). The dietitian was selected as the first source of information by 98% of athletes, with club trainer and teammates as second choice for 45.7% and 23.9% of athletes, respectively. The majority of athletes correctly answered questions regarding recommendations to increase fruit and vegetable intake and decrease fat intake (95.6%, 91.1% and 93.3% correct respectively). While 80% of the athletes were aware fat intake should predominately be made up of unsaturated fat, they were less able to identify food sources of unsaturated fats (35.6% and 24.4% correct for statements regarding monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, respectively). Broad nutrition messages and recommendations appear to be well understood; however, gaps in nutrition knowledge are evident. A better understanding of nutrition knowledge in athletes will allow nutrition education interventions to target areas in need of improvement.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chin-En Yen

BACKGROUND Computer games can increase children’s interest in learning, and then improve their nutritional knowledge, and their dietary intake behavior. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to evaluate the short-term effectiveness of computer games on preschool children's nutrition knowledge and junk food intake behavior. This study was a cross-sectional study. METHODS We recruited 104 preschool children age 5-6 years from preschools and randomly assign to experiment group (n=56) and control group (n=48). The researchers used Construct 2 to design and produce the "Healthy Rat King" computer game as a nutrition education tool for children. The computer game courses intervention was one hour per week for four consecutive weeks in experiment group, and the control group did not received computer game intervention. RESULTS The results showed that the nutrition knowledge score of children in experiment group were significant higher than the control group after four weeks of computer game course intervention, and the frequency of chocolate, candies, and ice cream intake was significantly reduced in experiment group after four weeks of computer game intervention. CONCLUSIONS computer game teaching suggested that improved children’s nutrition knowledge and decreased the frequency of junk food intake.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Sisi Chen ◽  
Rongrong Gao ◽  
Colm McAlinden ◽  
Junming Ye ◽  
Yiran Wang ◽  
...  

Purpose. To compare central corneal thickness (CCT), aqueous depth (AQD), and anterior chamber depth (ACD) measurements using the swept-source (CASIA SS-1000, Tomey, Japan) and time-domain (Visante, Carl Zeiss Meditec, USA) anterior segment optical coherence tomographers (OCT) in normal eyes. Methods. Sixty-eight eyes of 68 subjects were included. Three consecutive scans of each subject were obtained using both devices in a random order by one experienced operator. Standard deviation (Sw), coefficient of repeatability (CoR), coefficients of variation (CoV), and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were used to evaluate the intraoperator repeatability. Agreement was assessed using the Bland–Altman plots and 95% limits of agreement (LoA). Results. All measurements of the swept-source OCT (SS-OCT) and time-domain OCT (TD-OCT) showed high repeatability with low CoR (CCT: 2.34 μm and 6.16 μm; AQD: 0.05 mm and 0.09 mm; ACD: 0.06 mm and 0.09 mm), low CoV (CCT: 0.16% and 0.42%; AQD: 0.61% and 0.97%; ACD: 0.53% and 0.83%), and high ICC (>0.98). The mean CCT with SS-OCT was slightly thicker than the results with TD-OCT (difference = 4.55 ± 2.62 μm, P<0.001). There was no statistically significant difference in AQD or ACD measurements between the two devices (0.01 ± 0.05 mm, P=0.111; 0.02 ± 0.05 mm, P=0.022, respectively). The 95% LoA between the SS-OCT and TD-OCT were −0.59 to 9.69 μm for CCT, −0.10 to 0.12 mm for AQD, and −0.09 to 0.12 mm for ACD. Conclusions. High levels of repeatability and agreement were found between the two devices for all three parameters, suggesting interchangeability. SS-OCT demonstrated superior repeatability compared with TD-OCT.


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