Document Type : Original research articles
Authors
1
Clinical Nutrition Department, National Nutrition Institute, Ministry of Health, Cairo, Egypt
2
Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Faculty of Home Economics, Menofia Unversity, Shibin El Kom, Egypt
3
Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Faculty of Home Economics, Menoufia University, Shibin El Kom, Egypt
4
Department of Home Economics (Nutrition and Food Sciences), Faculty of Specific Education, Benha University, Benha, Egyp
Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate and compare the level of nutrition knowledge among sports faculty female students and non-sports female students from other faculties. The study recruited 249 female university students—101 sports students from the faculty of Physical Education and 148 non-sports students from different faculties. Students in their third or fourth year, aged 20 to 22, and agreed to participate were enrolled. In contrast, those who had disabilities or mental health issues and had chronic illnesses were excluded. This study used the Nutrition for Sport Knowledge Questionnaire (NSKQ) to assess sports nutrition knowledge. Participants' body height (cm), body weight (kg), and BMI (kg/m2) were measured. The data were statistically analyzed and presented as frequency, percentage, mean, and ±SD. The results showed that sports students exhibited superior performance in weight management compared to non-athletes (P<0.01), but most sports (51.5%) and non-sports (68.3%) students scored below 50.0%. Students in sports (54.5%) and non-sports (65.5%) categories predominantly achieved scores below 50.0% in macronutrients (P<0.05). Most sports students (75.3%) and non-sports students (82.4%) scored below 50.0% in the micronutrient domain. Only two out of the twelve questions regarding sports nutrition were answered correctly. Sports students achieved a higher mean score. Approximately two-thirds of participants responded correctly to one supplement question. Sports students exhibited significantly higher mean NSKQ scores (P<0.05) than non-sports students (38.5±6.8% vs. 36.1±9.0%, respectively). In conclusion, while sports students had more information than non-sports students, their nutrition knowledge was inferior, particularly in micronutrients, sports nutrition, and supplementation
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