Healthy eating promoting in a Brazilian sports-oriented school: a pilot study

Attitude towards healthy nutrition and mental toughness: a study of taekwondo athletes

Healthy nutrition is widely considered the cornerstone of optimal athletic performance, both physically and mentally. This study investigates the critical role of healthy nutrition in shaping the physical and mental performance of athletes, with a specific focus on taekwondo. This research aims to explore the potential relationship between taekwondo athletes' attitudes towards healthy nutrition and their mental toughness. The research group comprised 276 active and licensed taekwondo athletes who voluntarily participated in the study (Age M = 17.18 ± SD = 7.13, N = 125 women, N = 151 men). Ethical approval for the research was obtained prior to the commencement of the study. Data collection instruments included the Healthy Nutrition Attitude Scale, Mental Toughness Scale, and a personal information form. Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to confirm the validity and reliability of the scales. Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and regression analysis were performed to explore the relationship between the variables within the research model. The correlation analysis identified two significant, positive, and moderate correlations: (1) between knowledge about nutrition and mental toughness (r = 0.626) and (2) between positive nutrition and mental toughness (r = 0.672). The regression analysis revealed that both knowledge about nutrition (β = 0.360) and positive nutrition (β = 0.461) significantly contribute to mental toughness. The findings suggest that as athletes' knowledge of nutrition expands and their attitudes towards healthy eating become more positive, their mental toughness also appears to improve. These results are both important and original, adding significant new insights to the existing research landscape.

Birth weight, skeletal maturity and dietary patterns are associated with body composition compartments differently in male and female physically active adolescents

Background: Adequate body composition is important for health and performance of physically active adolescents; however, some factors can influence body composition. Aim: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between body composition and birth weight, skeletal maturity and dietary patterns, in male (n = 124) and female (n = 107) physically active adolescents. Methods: Birth weight was obtained from health booklets. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) was used to estimate fat mass (FM), fat-free mass (FFM), visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and abdominal adipose tissue (ASAT). Skeletal maturity was assessed by a hand and fist scanner using DXA. Food intake was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire and dietary patterns by factorial analysis. Results: Seventy one percent (male = 16%, female = 55%) of the participants were mature. Two dietary patterns (in natura/minimally processed and processed/ultra-processed) were identified. In males, FM (>15%, P = 0.043) and ASAT (>30%, P = 0.042) were higher in those with low-median compared to high-median birth weight. FFM (>24%) was higher in skeletally mature compared to those immatures (P = 0.001), and VAT (>28%) was higher in processed/ultra-processed compared to in natura/minimally processed dietary patterns (P = 0.015). In females, FFM (>9%) was higher in those with low-median compared to high-median birth weight (P = 0.019); and FFM (>16%), FM (>28%) and ASAT (>45%) were higher in skeletally mature compared to those immatures (P = 0.001). Conclusion: Our results may contribute to a better understanding of the complex association among body composition, birth weight, skeletal maturity and dietary patterns and in physically active adolescents, differently according to sex.

Evaluating the impacts of school garden-based programmes on diet and nutrition-related knowledge, attitudes and practices among the school children: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Previous evidence suggests that school garden-based programmes (SGBP) may be a promising yet cost-effective intervention to improve children's knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) on healthy eating. This review aimed to summarise and evaluate the evidence available on the impacts of SGBP in addressing diet and nutrition-related KAP among school-aged children.

METHODS

Five databases including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, Web of Science and Scopus were searched until February 2021. Randomised, non-randomised controlled and pre-post intervention studies investigating the impacts of SGBP on at least one of the outcomes of interest including diet and nutrition-related knowledge, attitudes towards fruits and vegetables (F&V), food diversity and dietary practice among school-aged children were included. Study selection and data extraction were performed by one reviewer and checked for accuracy by the other two reviewers in accordance with PRISMA guideline. Quality appraisal for studies included was assessed using American Dietetic Association Quality Criteria Checklist.

RESULTS

A total of 10,836 records were identified, and 35 studies that met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were included. This includes 25,726 students from 341 schools and 8 nurseries from 12 countries. Intervention duration ranged from 6 weeks to 4 years with 18 studies involving a varied degree of parental participation. SGBP, which majorly includes school gardening activities, cooking lessons and nutrition education, demonstrated beneficial effects on children's nutritional knowledge, their attitudes and acceptability towards fruits and vegetables and children's dietary practices including the actual F&V consumption and dietary diversity. However, the impacts of SGBP on such outcomes were highly influenced by various social and environmental factors including the activities/components and duration of the intervention, parental involvement, sample size, and the age of children when interventions were first introduced.

CONCLUSION

These findings suggest that SGBP may be effective in promoting children's nutritional knowledge, attitudes and acceptability towards vegetables, however, the impacts may vary by the type, the extent, and the length of the programmes, and other factors such as parent involvement. Future SGBP is suggested to implement using a combined multidisciplinary approach targeting the children, parents, and community to effectively promote healthy eating among the children and prevent childhood obesity.

The Effects of Horticultural Activity Program on Vegetable Preference of Elementary School Students

This study was conducted to investigate effects of a horticultural activity program based on a mediating variable model for improving vegetable preference among elementary students. A quasi-experimental design was employed with 136 students and 136 primary carers in Seoul, South Korea. Based on the mediation model for improving children’s vegetable preference, 12 sessions were conducted, including gardening, nutrition education, and cooking activities using harvests. The program was conducted weekly for 12 weeks from March to July 2019. To investigate the effect of this program, mediating factors of the children were evaluated before and after the program. Pearson correlation analysis was used to identify the mediating factors. The nutrition index, attitude, knowledge, and eating habits of the primary carers were evaluated. Results showed children’s nutrition and gardening knowledge, dietary self-efficacy, outcome expectancies, and vegetable preference were significantly improved (p < 0.001). Primary carers showed significant improvement in the nutrition index, knowledge, and attitude (p < 0.05). The correlation analysis confirmed that most of the mediating factors had significant correlations (p < 0.05). Therefore, administering a structured program involving horticultural activities and nutrition education as mediating factors for 12 sessions was effective in improving eating behavior for vegetables elementary school students and primary carers.