The Effect of Parental Nutrition Education on the Knowledge of Eating Arrangements and Energy Intake of Adolescent Athletes: A Study at SSB Kancil Mas

Abstract

Study purpose. Energy and nutrient requirements in adolescent athletes are higher than in children in general, along with the high intensity of physical activity. Parents' understanding of dietary management plays an important role in ensuring these needs are met, but often remains suboptimal. This study aimed to analyse the effect of nutrition education on improving parents' knowledge of dietary management and its impact on energy intake in adolescent athletes.

Materials and Methods. This study used a quasi-experiment design with a one-group pre-post test approach. The research subjects involved 30 parents/guardians of 11-year-old Football School athletes selected through purposive sampling method. The intervention was conducted through face-to-face nutrition education for 10 days using booklet media. Dietary knowledge was measured using a questionnaire that had been tested for validity and reliability, while energy intake data was collected through a 1x24 hour food recall form.

Results. The results of data analysis using paired t-test showed a significant increase in the average score of dietary knowledge after the intervention (p = 0.000). In addition, in the Wilcoxon test there was a significant increase in the average energy intake of athletes (p = 0.013).

Conclusion. This study shows that nutrition education has a significant effect on improving parents' knowledge of dietary management and energy intake of adolescent athletes. Future research could consider using more diverse educational media, conducting evaluations over a longer period of time to assess the sustainability of the results, as well as examining the relationship between dietary management and athletes' physical performance directly.