<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’ 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 ± 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> < .001). Mean self-efficacy scores significantly improved pre- to post-test for all lessons (<i>p</i> < .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>
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:PROQUEST/oai:pqdtoai.proquest.com:10841681 |
| Date | 01 November 2018 |
| Creators | Coffey, Alaina B. |
| Publisher | California State University, Long Beach |
| Source Sets | ProQuest.com |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | thesis |
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