Assessment Of Nutrition Knowledge In Division III Collegiate Athletes

Nutrition knowledge is an essential component leading to quality performance, health, and wellness among athletes. PURPOSE: To assess the nutritional knowledge of Division III college athletes. METHODS: 234 athletes (n = 131 male, n = 102 female, n = 1 prefer not to say) from 15 varsity teams completed the sport nutrition assessment of knowledge (SNAK) screener. The SNAK consists of 22 individual questions and seven dimensions of nutrition knowledge. RESULTS: In the total sample, the accuracy on the individual items ranged from 99.1%-17.1%, with the average accuracy of 74.5%. When examined by dimensions of knowledge, the total sample ranged from a low of 6.4% (protein) to a high of 93.6% (energy availability). When analyzed by major (Kinesiology vs. non-Kinesiology, Science vs. non-Science) or whether they had completed a nutrition course, the average accuracy on the individual items was 79.6% vs 73.6%, 77.3% vs 72.7%, and 77.2% vs 74.1%, respectively. When examined by dimensions of knowledge, Kinesiology majors scored significantly higher than non-Kinesiology majors on supplements (62.2% vs 43.1%, p < 0.05), as did those who had taken a previous nutrition course (63.9% vs 42.9%, p < 0.05). Science majors scored significantly higher than non-Science majors regarding dietary fat (71.3% vs 50.7%, p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: There were significant differences in the nutrition knowledge in this sample of Division III athletes. These results highlight the need for comprehensive nutrition education, especially for Division III athletes.