Implementation of a Nutrition Education Curriculum to Optimize Carbohydrate and Energy Intake among Male and Female Adolescent Distance Runners

• Main Author: Coffey, Alaina B.
• Language: EN
• Published: California State University, Long Beach 2018
• Subjects: Public health education|Health sciences|Nutrition|Kinesiology
• Online Access: http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10841681

<p> While adolescent endurance runners are at risk for energy deficiency, limited studies have evaluated the effect of a nutrition education intervention. We evaluated the effect of a 4-week nutrition curriculum on adolescent cross-country runners&rsquo; nutrition knowledge, dietary behaviors, and self-efficacy to optimize intake of nutrient-dense carbohydrate foods, using a quasi-experimental, pretest-posttest design. Runners (<i>n</i> = 45; <i>n</i> = 26 F, <i>n</i> = 19 M; age 15.7 &plusmn; 0.2y) attended 4 weekly 30 to 60-minute lessons. Baseline body weight and composition were measured using bioelectrical impedance analysis. Paired samples t-tests measured difference in nutrition knowledge and self-efficacy scores, before and after each lesson. Mean nutrition knowledge scores significantly increased from pre- to post-test for lessons 1 and 2 (<i>p</i> &lt; .001). Mean self-efficacy scores significantly improved pre- to post-test for all lessons (<i>p</i> &lt; .001). Findings suggest a benefit of the curriculum to increase nutrition knowledge, self-efficacy, and support dietary behaviors promoting increase in nutrient-dense carbohydrate intake among adolescent runners.</p><p>