Table 2.
Characteristics and major findings of the studies analyzing the effect of nutrition education interventions on nutrition knowledge in team sport athletes.
| Authors | Year | Sample Size (n) |
Age (M ± SD Years) |
Country | Sport | Competition Level | Questionnaire | Intervention (Modality, Frequency, and Duration) | Major Findings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abood et al. [25] | 2004 | NEI (15 females) CG (15 females) |
NEI (19.6 ± 1.0) CG (19.4 ± 1.2) |
United States | NEI Soccer CG Swimming |
College division I | Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level Index | Nutrition education intervention NEI (online, 8 × 1-h sessions, 8 weeks) CG (no treatment) |
NEI athletes experienced a significant increase in nutrition knowledge and self-efficacy compared to CG. |
| Daniel et al. [40] | 2016 | 10 females | 17.2 ± 0.9 | Brazil | Volleyball | Junior | KAP questionnaire | Interdisciplinary Food, Nutrition and Health Education Program (F2F, 8 sessions, 8 months) |
NE athletes improved their nutrition knowledge from 57.0 ± 9.9% at baseline to 63.0 ± 11.8% following the intervention. |
| Elias et al. [26] | 2018 | NEI (52 males) CG (53 males) |
NEI (18.7 ± 0.9) CG (23.3 ± 3.8) |
Malaysia | NEI Field hockey and soccer. CG Cricket and rugby union |
National | Jürgensen questionnaire | Sport education intervention activities NEI (F2F and online, 7 × 1.5-h sessions, 9 weeks) CG (no treatment) |
NEI athletes showed significant increases (−6.21 ± 2.95 points) in nutrition knowledge after the intervention. Significant decrease (−2.15 ± 1.45 points) in nutrition knowledge after the intervention in the CG. |
| Patton-Lopez et al. [23] | 2018 | NEI (153 males and females) CG (64 males and females) |
NEI (14.9 ± 0.9) CG (14.9 ± 0.9) |
United States | Soccer | High school | SNK questionnaire | WAVE education program NEI (F2F, 7 sport nutrition lessons and 3 team building workshops, 1–1.5 h, 2 years) CG (no treatment) |
NEI athletes significantly increased their nutrition knowledge scores from 5.16 ± 1.80 points at baseline to 6.09 ± 1.59 points after the 1-year intervention, while there were no changes in the CG. |
| Reading et al. [41] | 1999 | 33 males | 14.3 ± 3.6 | Canada | Ice hockey | Youth | Modified version of SNAC questionnaire | Sport Nutrition for the Athletes of Canada (SNAC) (F2F, online and lectures, 4 × 1-h sessions, 2 weeks) |
No changes in nutrition knowledge following the intervention. |
| Rossi et al. [32] | 2017 | 15 females | 19.3 ± 1.0 | United States | Baseball | College division 1 | Reilly and Maughan sports nutrition questionnaire | Nutrition education intervention (F2F, 3 times per week, 12 weeks) |
NEI athletes significantly improved their nutrition knowledge from 54.7 ± 14.3% at baseline to 70.0 ± 9.4% following the intervention. |
| Simpson et al. [42] | 2017 | 17 males | 19.0 ± 0.7 | New Zealand | Hockey | International and national | Zin et al. questionnaire of nutritional knowledge | Nutrition education intervention (online, once a week, 6 weeks) |
NEI athletes significantly improved their nutrition knowledge from 56.7 ± 11.4% at baseline to 61.1 ± 11.5% following the intervention. |
| Valliant et al. [22] | 2012 | NEI 11 females CG 11 females |
NEI 19.8 ± 1.0 CG 19.5 ± 1.0 |
United States | Volleyball | College division 1 | Reilly and Maughan sports nutrition questionnaire | Nutrition education intervention NEI (F2F, 4 individual sessions, 4 months) CG (no treatment) |
NEI athletes significantly increased their nutrition knowledge scores from 24.7 ± 5.9 points at baseline to 31.5 ± 6.1 points following intervention. |
| Zeng et al. [24] | 2020 | NEI 15 males CG 15 males |
NEI 16.7 ± 1.8 CG 16.8 ± 1.7 |
China | Soccer | Youth top | KAP questionnaire | Nutrition education intervention NEI (F2F and comic book, once a week during 30 min, 4 weeks) CG (comic book) |
NEI improved general and sports nutrition knowledges following the intervention. |
n: number; M: mean; SD: standard deviation; NEI: sport nutrition education intervention; CG: control group; F2F: face to face; KAP: nutrition knowledge, attitude and practice; SNK: sport nutrition knowledge.