Effect of Sport Nutrition Education in High School Students from Low Income Communities. Part II

Subjects Experimental Total Subjects 22 Gender Males Females Control 17 Total 39 8 14 7 10 24 15 Subjects Experimental Class Level Freshmen Sophomore Junior Senior 5 5 6 6 Control 9 1 4 3 Total 14 6 10 9 Subjects Experimental Control Total Ethnic Background Caucasian African-American “Other” 0 15 7 0 13 4 0 28 11 Results Mean Test Scores Group Experimental Control Pre-Test 5.73±3.34* 8.18±3.82 Post-Test 14.45±4.8** 7.82±4.6*** 27 Mean Correct Responses 24 21 18 15 12 9 6 3 0 Results Experimental Control 14.5 8.2 5.7 7.8 Pre-Test Post-Test Gender Results 27 Mean correct responses 24 21 18 15 12 9 6 3 0 Experimental Control 16.0* $+ 7.14 6.13 11.75* + 7.85 5.5 8.9 7.8 Male Pre- Male Post- Female Pre- Female Post- Class Level Results 27 24 21 18 15 12 9 6 3 0 Pre-Test Post-Test M ean correct responses 15.6* + 16.3*+ 12.2*+ 7.5 8.2 13.5*+ 3.6$ 2.8** 9th 10th 11th 12th Experimental Group Class Level Results 27 24 21 18 15 12 9 6 3 0 Mean correct responses Pre-Test Post-Test 12.0 13.0 8.7 8.3 5.0 9.7 6.8 6.0 9th 10th 11th Control Group 12th Specific Category Responses  Protein supplements and muscle development (e.g., protein shakes and amino acids) #a 6 6 %correct 33.9 64.4 + 30.5 %incorrect 65.9 35.7 Pre-Test Post-Test Improvement a= number of questions on questionnaire in particular category Specific Category Responses  Vitamin and mineral supplements #a 6 6 %correct 16.3 48.5 + 32.2 %incorrect 80.3 51.7 Pre-Test Post-Test Improvement a= number of questions on questionnaire in particular category Specific Category Responses  Formula drinks (e.g., carbohydrate loading, fluid replacement and medium chain triglyceride [MCT] solutions) #a 3 3 %correct 12.1 53.0 + 40.9 %incorrect 87.9 47.3 Pre-Test Post-Test Improvement a = number of questions on questionnaire in particular category Specific Category Responses Steroid-alternative supplements (e.g., creatine monohydrate, androstenedione, beta-hydroxybeta-methylbutyrate [HMB], dehydroepiandrosterone [DHEA]) #a %correct %incorrect Pre-Test 8 18.7 81.2 Post-Test 8 48.3 52.1 Improvement + 29.6  a= number of questions on questionnaire in particular category Specific Category Responses  Weight-loss supplements (e.g., ephedras, chromium picolinate) #a 4 4 %correct 18.2 46.6 + 28.4 %incorrect 81.8 53.4 Pre-Test Post-Test Improvement a= number of questions on questionnaire in particular category Specific Category Responses  Sport supplement safety #a 1 1 %correct 36.4 77.2 + 40.8 %incorrect 63.6 22.7 Pre-Test Post-Test Improvement category a= number of questions on questionnaire in particular Dietary Supplement Use Experimental Group (n = 22)    Vitamin C (23%) Multivitamins (9%) Minerals  Iron (9%)  Protein (14%) *Note: results based on subjective responses Dietary Supplement Use Control Group (n = 17)   Vitamin C (18%) Minerals   Calcium (23%) Iron (18%) beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate (HMB)  Non-vitamin/non-mineral  *Note: results based on subjective responses Discussion  Results for control and experimental groups were low at pre-test and consistent with previous findings Whether the scores were a result of SES can only be speculated  Discussion  Pre-test low scores may have been attributed to  Questions being to difficult to understand (in particular the updated 7 questions) Subjects in this population possessing an even greater lack of basic nutrition knowledge  Discussion  Because participation was voluntary, there was no way to assure that subjects would make honest attempts to correctly answer the questions Discussion  Significant differences at pre-test    Experimental group had a significantly lower score at pre-test (p =0.040) May have allotted for greater improvement by experimental group Possibly a result of inability to randomize the sample population Summary  Effect of sport supplement intervention  Five sessions of nutrition and sport supplement education intervention were effective in improving sport supplement knowledge in adolescents from a lowincome community  Consistent with finding from Hartman et al. (1997) in adults from low-income communities Summary  Gender differences (Experimental group)  Present study indicated no significant difference between gender at pre-test  The improvement at post-test was greater in females than males  Finding does not agree with Massad et al. (1995) and Krowchuk et al. (1989) Summary  Class level differences (Experimental group)  At pre-test   Freshmen scores lower than seniors’ Sophomores’ scores significantly lower than juniors’ and seniors’ No significant differences in scores among class levels  At post-test  Summary Dietary supplement use  Most consumed vitamin/mineral supplements    vitamin C iron calcium  Consistent with Kim & Keen (1999) and Lino et al. (1999) Limitations Sample Size  Limited number of subjects available at NSA Finding a willing school to participate that fit the grant criteria   Time restraints Limitations Confounding error  School fire    Considerable subject maneuvering Loss of subjects (control group) Possible interaction between groups Limitations Questionnaire Limitations  Complicated terminology may have hindered the experimental group’s ability to understand certain issues  Subject participation was optional and the investigator was unable to control attendance to educational lessons by the experimental group Limitations Questionnaire Limitations  Assessing frequency of dietary supplement use    Results based on subjective responses Likert-type point value system Difficulty in ascertaining frequency of use Limitations Sources of Nutrition Information   Prior studies have assessed this information in adolescents from communities of higher income Present study would have provided suitable comparison for individuals of low-income Conclusion   A short-term nutrition education program can significantly improve sport supplement knowledge in high school students from a low-income community Future research is needed to assess long-term effects of nutrition education in low-income communities  Use of more objective measures are also required Generalizability  Assuming internal consistency, results may be generalized to other high school adolescents in low-income communities Future Research Implications    Possibility for future research in this needed area is evident Similar investigation in progress Incorporating current material into other high school in low-income communities