Psychosocial factors and eating behaviors according to the stages of change in nutrition management among elementary and middle school athletes

Ji Yeon Kim; Seong Suk Cho; Kyung Won Kim

doi:10.4162/nrp.2021.15.6.732

Psychosocial factors and eating behaviors according to the stages of change in nutrition management among elementary and middle school athletes

Nutr Res Pract. 2021 Dec;15(6):732-746. doi: 10.4162/nrp.2021.15.6.732. Epub 2021 Apr 9.

Authors

Ji Yeon Kim¹, Seong Suk Cho², Kyung Won Kim¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Food and Nutrition, Seoul Women's University, Seoul 01797, Korea.
² National Training Center of Korea Olympic Committee, Seoul 01794, Korea.

Abstract

Background/objectives: This study examined the differences in psychosocial factors and eating behaviors by the stages of change (SOC) in nutrition management among elementary and middle school athletes.

Subjects/methods: Subjects were young athletes recruited from the athletic clubs of 10 organizations. Subjects responded to a survey questionnaire, and data on 167 athletes were analyzed. Subjects were grouped into the pre-action or action stage in nutrition management. The χ² test, t-test, analysis of covariance, and correlation analysis were used in data analysis.

Results: Athletes in the action stage (62.3%) compared to the pre-action stage, showed a higher self-efficacy (P < 0.01), and felt more confidence in performing specific eating behaviors (P < 0.05 to P < 0.01). Those in the action stage had more favorable beliefs regarding nutrition (P < 0.001) and agreed less strongly on the specific misconceptions/disadvantages of nutrition (P < 0.01) than those in the pre-action stage. Eating behaviors (P < 0.001) and subscales of the eating behaviors (P < 0.05 to P < 0.01) also differed significantly by the SOC group. Place of eating dinner (P < 0.05) and the person who prepares dinner (P < 0.05) showed significant differences by the SOC group. The relationship of self-efficacy, beliefs regarding nutrition, and eating behaviors to the SOC differed by sports type. Beliefs for football athletes, self-efficacy, and beliefs for baseball athletes were correlated significantly with the SOC, whereas all 3 variables were related to the SOC for handball and other athletes.

Conclusions: This study showed differences in psychosocial factors and eating behaviors between the pre-action and action stages. Nutrition education should include strategies to help young athletes modify their beliefs, mainly misconceptions/disadvantages of nutrition, increase self-efficacy, and adopt specific and desirable eating behaviors. Nutrition education might employ different strategies considering the sports type that student-athletes participate.

Keywords: Athlete; beliefs; eating behavior; self-efficacy; stage of change.