RESUMO
OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effect of nutrition education on Chinese elite male young soccer players through the knowledge, attitude, behavior (KAP) survey and an adjusted dietary balance index (DBI). METHODS: 30 Chinese elite male young soccer players were randomly divided into two groups: lecture group (Nâ¯=â¯15, Age: 16.7⯱â¯1.8 years, Height: 173.9⯱â¯9.0â¯cm; Weight: 62.4⯱â¯13.0â¯kg; Training years: 5.6⯱â¯2.7 years) and non-lecture group (Nâ¯=â¯15, Age: 16.8⯱â¯1.7 years, Height: 175.5⯱â¯7.9â¯cm; Weight: 62.5⯱â¯12.3â¯kg; Training years: 6.2⯱â¯3.3). The comics book was given to the non-lecture group, while the a four-week nutritional quality education along with comic books were given to the lecture group. Before and after 4 weeks nutritional education, dietary nutritional status of both groups was assessed. The main outcome measurements included the scores for each part of the KAP survey, diet status (food-weighing method) and the dietary index in the adjusted DBI-07 system (DBI-low bound score, LBS; DBI-high bound score, HBS; and DBI-diet quality distance, DQD). RESULTS: In the lecture group, significant differences were found in the scores of general nutrition knowledge, sports nutrition knowledge and total scores of KAP dietary questionnaire after 4 weeks nutritional education (Pâ¯<â¯0.01). However, there is no significant difference in dietary attitude and dietary behavior (Pâ¯>â¯0.05) on both two groups. There is no significant change in the DBI-low bound score (LBS), DBI-high bound score (HBS) and DBI-diet quality distance (DQD) of dietary quality index (Pâ¯>â¯0.05) in both two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Four weeks nutritional quality education improved the understanding of dietary nutrition among Chinese elite male young soccer players.