A study on the awareness and education status of sports nutrition in college students majoring in physical education: based on the career selection

Article information

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Physical education is a complex study of various disciplines, and its importance is emphasized because basic studies in physical education form the basis of interdisciplinary convergence. In particular, nutrition is an essential subject for understanding the basic energy system and acquiring knowledge about human body functions. Physical education majors can solve problems from a physical education perspective and expand their career options through the continuous process of learning other subjects [1].

Nutrition is necessary for the growth and development of healthy human body, and sports nutrition provides knowledge about specialized nutritional care to those who play sports [2,3]. Regular physical activity and balanced nutrition are recommended for sport performance [4,5]; balanced nutrition is also essential for acquiring nutrients suitable for performing essential systemic functions of the body. To perform high-intensity exercise and increase muscle mass, it is essential to enhance protein intake, whereas carbohydrate intake and timing of exercise influence energy storage and physical recovery [6]. Therefore, the quantity and timings of consumption of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats can significantly affect performance. In addition, nutritional deficiency not only affect growth and development but also negatively affect motor function and physical performance, resulting in increased risk of injury for athletes [7]; moreover, it contributes to the development of certain health problems such as diabetes, obesity, sarcopenia, and osteoporosis [8].

Previous studies have shown that nutrition knowledge directly affects the weight loss and diet of coaches and athletes [9], and implementing nutrition education improves the performance and health of athletes during the game season [10]. Furthermore, a study has suggested that nutritional interventions for athletes can effectively improve eating habits, nutritional knowledge, and body composition [11]. Therefore, nutrition education is essential for physical education majors to acquire the necessary knowledge of the overall physical education subject. University life has a huge influence on career paths, and career choice after graduation affects the overall quality of life. When a physical education major decides his/her career path, differences in nutritional knowledge indicate differences in job selection [12] and play a major role in selecting occupations [13].

Generally, nutrition is regarded as an important subject in physical education; however, it is often perceived as difficult by undergraduate students owing to an inadequate curriculum and insufficient subject offerings. Therefore, an educational curriculum that can effectively teach nutrition and an all-round perception survey are needed to build such a curriculum. In the United States, Europe, and Australia, numerous universities provide specialized programs in sports nutrition. Additionally, various sports nutrition certifications, such as the Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics (CSSD) [14] and the NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) [15] in the United States, the European Sport and Exercise Nutrition Register (SENr) [16], and the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) [17] certification, are available to professionals in the field. Besides, other foreign countries are also discussing how to implement high-quality nutrition education, and the Korean Society Exercise Nutrition has also opened new “Exercise Nutrition Expert“ qualification training for sports nutrition education for sports majors in grades 1, 2, and 3. The Korean Society Exercise Nutrition has been officially operating the qualification system since 2024 after the pilot project in 2023 [18].

However, despite the changes and necessity of nutrition education, there is a lack of empirical evidence supporting the best method to gain nutrition knowledge. In addition, research on the nutrition education curriculum of college students majoring in physical education has not yet been conducted, with the exception of domestic medical and health college students. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to confirm the educational curriculum of college students majoring in physical education through research on basic knowledge about nutrition and to verify the sufficiency and relevance of education by confirming the desired career path for college students majoring in physical education.

METHODS

Participants

This study was conducted among Korean university students, aged ≥20 years, majoring in physical education. We used G power to calculate the number of participants needed and found that 269 participants were required based on an effect size of 0.25, α error of 0.05, and power of 0.80 [19]. The questionnaire, distributed using simple random sampling, was delivered as 100% online survey with the cooperation of university institutions and elite athletes; 389 copies were used for the final data analysis, excluding 98 copies considered as false responses after the survey was completed. The participants who completed the survey were divided into four groups according to their desired job group after graduation: 1) athlete; 2) education; 3) treatment and rehabilitation; and 4) others. Demographic characteristics of the participants are shown in Table 1.

Table 1.

The demographic characteristics of the participants

Composition of survey content

The questionnaire used in this study consisted of 23 items. The content of the questionnaire was reconstructed using previous studies that confirmed the perception of the sufficiency and relevance of education, and was set to allow duplicate choices in questions, such as education recognition. The main components of the questionnaire are presented in Table 2.

Table 2.

The main composition contents of the questionnaire

RESULTS

Percentage distribution of nutrition class completion

The overall percentage distribution of nutrition classes in college was 1.71 ± 0.45, followed by treatment and rehabilitation > education > athletes > others, showing statistically significant differences between each group (p < 0.001). The percentage of complete functional anatomy classes at non-university institutions was 1.97 ± 0.29, and it can be seen that very few subjects received nutrition education in all groups (Table 3).

Table 3.

The result of the differences in exercise performance between groups

The nutrition class method

Regarding the lecture time when completing nutrition education at the university, all groups except the treatment and rehabilitation group showed a lack of completion time with a score ≥ 3 on the Likert scale, whereas and in terms of educational satisfaction, all groups showed a score of 3 or more on the Likert scale, indicating low educational satisfaction (Table 3).

A survey on the teaching method used when completing nutrition classes at the university was conducted with duplicate selectable questions for all methods used. According to the survey results, the measures used were in the order of theoretical lectures > lectures using video and 3D programs > applications and papers, and the highest used frequency was 76.3% for theoretical lectures. Regarding effective nutrition education methods, theoretical lectures > original and thesis = clinical nutrition-based lectures > lectures using video and 3D programs appeared in that order, and theoretical lectures showed the highest preference at 50% (Figure 1).

Figure 1.

Nutrition Education Methods:

(A) What is your university education method: a) theory lecture; b) seminar-style lecture with applications and latest papers; c) video and 3D programs; d) clinical nutrition-based lecture. (B) Which do you think is an effective nutrition education method: a) theory lecture; b) seminar-style lecture with applications and latest papers; c) video and 3D programs; d) clinical nutrition-based lecture. (C) Which nutritional knowledge do you think is important: a) basic nutrition; b) life cycle nutrition; c) sports nutrition; d) health functional foods; e) weight loss; f) energy metabolism; g) body composition.

The most important questions in the field of nutrition were related to sports nutrition (32.9%), basic nutrition (19.7), energy metabolism (18.5%), and weight loss (14.1%) (Figure 1).

Comparison of nutrition awareness

The results of evaluation of nutritional knowledge levels were in the following order: athletes > others > treatment and rehabilitation > education. The overall score exceeded 3 points, and almost all participants evaluated their nutritional knowledge as low. In contrast, questions about the need for nutritional knowledge in exercise performance (therapy and rehabilitation groups > education field groups > other groups > athlete groups; F = 27.858; p < 0.001) and the effect of nutrition on motor ability and job performance (therapy and rehabilitation > other groups > education field > athlete groups; F = 45.802; p < 0.001) showed that all groups scored 1–2 points on the Likert scale and tended to agree with the need for nutritional knowledge in exercise (Table 3).

The following was a question on the degree of field use of nutritional knowledge, which was conducted in such a way that duplicate choices were possible: “What do you think nutritional knowledge is needed for?” 40.4% was the highest for application to the actual exercise and education field; “What do you think nutritional knowledge can improve?” The highest score was observed for motor ability (41.6%); “Are nutritional knowledge being used in the actual exercise field?” Neutral response was 39.9%, but the response to use was 41.1%, indicating that a large number of participants use nutritional knowledge (Figure 2).

Figure 2.

Field Utilization of Nutritional Knowledge:

(A) What do you think nutritional knowledge is needed for: a) developing practical skills and methods used in the field; b) developing practical skills and methods for use in the field; c) obtaining a certificate; d) improving performance; e) others. (B) What do you think nutritional knowledge can improve: a) athletic ability; b) educational ability; c) treatment and prescription ability; d) others. (C) Is nutritional knowledge being used in the actual exercise field: a) always used; b) often used; c) neutral; d) rarely used; e) never used.

DISCUSSION

This study aimed to investigate the basic nutritional knowledge of college students majoring in physical education and present the basis of nutrition education curriculum suitable for physical education. Identifying research trends is important for communicating with other researchers. Kim Ji-su [21] analyzed the topics and subjects of 455 papers of the Journal of Korean Society of Excellence Nutrition in the Research Trend of Sport Nutrition Science in the Republic of Korea. Kiss et al. [22] reported that the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition analyzed 3,889 sports nutrition-related papers published between 2000 and 2018 and conducted topic, year, and keyword frequency analyses. In addition, nutrition was frequently reported as the second largest in sports fields, such as Exercise Physiology, Sports Nutrition, Growth and Development, and Adapted Physical Education, in Korea’s sports science research trends published in the Korean Journal of Sports Science from 2000 to 2011 [23]. These studies show that large numbers of high-quality studies on sports nutrition are being actively conducted worldwide. Previous studies have reported that sports nutritional knowledge has a positive effect on various fields, such as knowledge, attitude, and participation in sports [24,25].

Among the university education methods used in this study, theoretical lectures were the most common, at 76.3%. However, only 50% of the respondents responded to effective education. These results are attributed to passive learning, which arises from the intrinsic nature of theoretical lectures and serves as a contributing factor to the lack of deep conceptual understanding and practical field applications. Although clinical nutrition-based lectures received 0% frequency, 18.8% respondents considered it as an effective nutrition education method. However, educational resources available in physical education universities for clinical nutrition practice are limited. Therefore, these shortcomings can be addressed through joint classes with medical schools or departments specializing in nutrition and health, similar to curricula implemented in overseas universities. The research results confirmed the gap between the existing educational curriculum of sports nutrition and the educational methods desired by learners. To narrow this gap, it is necessary to develop effective educational content along with new teaching and learning methods for learners in collaboration with the Center for Teaching & Learning (CTL) existing in university institutions.

In addition, university students majoring in physical education in Korea said that they lacked the knowledge and experience of taking nutrition classes at universities and external institutions. It is important to note that there were no major professors related to sports nutrition in the Department of Physical Education, and no sports nutrition classes were conducted. Additionally, sports nutrition was set as an elective subject, which might have affected the results. The same applies to institutions outside of universities. In Korea, a representative certificate is available for second-class life sports instructors at the National Sports Promotion Foundation. The course teaches sports nutrition filed [26]. In addition, nutrition-related lectures were included in training courses, such as Korean Athletic Trainers’ Association, Korean Association Certified Excellence Professional, and Korea Coach Association for Strength & Conditioning. However, although sports nutrition was included as a course, only 1–2 h were allocated to lectures on sports nutrition, which is insufficient for acquiring knowledge about a wide range of sports nutrition topics. Additionally, there are limitations to the application of nutritional knowledge by learners. Universities in the United States, Europe, and Australia train nutrition experts through Master’s courses in sports nutrition. The CSSD requires 2,000 h of experience in sports nutrition within five years, identifying higher standards of eligibility and training hours than that of Korea. Therefore, we conclude that Korea needs to develop an educational curriculum in cooperation with other departments within the medical field or in collaboration with external institutions.

This study included 389 Korean university students and did not consider majors or cultural differences. Since it represents differences in culture and education systems, the study has a limitation that latent variables, such as sex, age, and exercise level, are not considered. In addition, as the research was conducted 100% online, it was difficult to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the respondents, and there was a lack of analysis of actual nutritional knowledge and educational effects. However, this study has the advantage of conducting a survey specifically on sports major students and not on health or medical majors in Korea. Therefore, in future studies, it is necessary to analyze the nutritional awareness and knowledge levels of not only college students but also physical education workers. In addition, it is necessary to determine applications of this field.

Nutrition is one of the most important disciplines in sports. With nutritional knowledge, professional athletes and everyone who enjoys sports can easily achieve their goals. This study is important as it conducted a survey of nutritional curriculum and perception of college students; however, it also confirms that nutrition education in Korea is still inferior to that of other countries having advanced sports science programs. This indicates that there is no regular nutrition curriculum in external institutions such as corporations or in the absence of school education. However, positive changes in nutrition education are expected from qualification training for exercise nutrition experts by the Korean Society for Exercise Nutrition, established in 2023, and is expected to make a significant contribution to foster sports experts in the future.

Article information Continued