Evaluation for the effects of nutritional education on Chinese elite male young soccer players: The application of adjusted dietary balance index (DBI)

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 (N = 15, Age: 16.7 +/- 1.8 years, Height: 173.9 +/- 9.0 cm; Weight: 62.4 +/- 13.0 kg; Training years: 5.6 +/- 2.7 years) and non-lecture group (N = 15, Age: 16.8 +/- 1.7 years, Height: 175.5 +/- 7.9 cm; Weight: 62.5 +/- 12.3 kg; Training years: 6.2 +/- 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 (P < 0.01). However, there is no significant difference in dietary attitude and dietary behavior (P> 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 (P> 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. (C) 2019 The Society of Chinese Scholars on Exercise Physiology and Fitness. Published by Elsevier (Singapore) Pte Ltd.