engleski

Nutrition Knowledge and Habits Survey among Students of Sport Faculties of Zagreb and Bratislava

Among other, job of sport trainers and pedagogues includes giving dietary advice to young athletes. The primary aim of our research was to investigate the nutrition knowledge of students from Sport faculties in Zagreb and Bratislava. The secondary aim was to determine and compare the dietary habits of the two student groups as well as to examine the influence of nutrition knowledge on dietary habits. Data on nutrition knowledge and dietary habits was collected from 113 participants (58 from Croatia and 55 from Slovakia) through the use of 40-item questionnaire. Overall, 69 % of questions were correctly answered (69% by Croatian and 70% by Slovakian students). The highest percentage of correct answers was noticed in the questions related to carbohydrates (77%) and influence of nutrition on sport performance (75%). Students differed significantly in the knowledge on proteins (40% correct answers among students from Zagreb vs. 56% obtained from Slovakian students), where there was overall the lowest percentage of correct answers (48%). When results of χ2 test are analyzed for the two groups of students differences were observed on 4 questions: eating breakfast (p=0.02), skipping meals (p=0.03), daily diet recording (p=0.03) and consumption of minerals (p=0.02). Students from Zagreb were more conscientious in diet recording, eating breakfast, while students from Bratislava less frequently skipped meals and consumed more minerals. In order to become better nutrition advisers sport students need to improve their own knowledge. This would best be achieved through more extensive university courses on nutrition and healthy habits.

diet ; healthy habits ; questionnaire ; young athlete

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