Australian team sports athletes prefer dietitians, the internet and nutritionists for sports nutrition information

Abstract

Aim To evaluate the information sources that are used and preferred by Australian athletes and to assess if preferences influence nutrition knowledge (NK). Methods Elite and non‐elite Australian team sport athletes, playing Australian football (AF), cricket, lawn bowls, soccer or hockey, were recruited via the sporting organisations' qualified sports dietitians or club presidents. Athletes completed one of two online, validated sports NK questionnaires. Frequency analysis on previous sources of advice, preferred sources of information and preferred type of support were assessed. Differences in NK scores (%) based on previous sources of dietary advice and preferences for obtaining information were assessed using t test or Mann‐Whitney U test. Results Demographic and information source questions were completed by 410 athletes; 331 also completed NK questions. Athletes were mostly non‐elite (76%) and AF players (79%). Forty‐four per cent of athletes reported having previously received advice from a dietitian. Twenty per cent, 19% and 16% of athletes chose “dietitian,” “internet” and “nutritionist” as their preferred source of nutrition information, respectively. Athletes preferred information on sports nutrition (35%), individual consultations (33%), and information on general healthy eating (33%), over cooking classes (4%) and group presentations (3%). There were no significant associations between preferred and previous information sources and NK scores. Conclusions Australian athletes prefer dietitians, the internet and nutritionists for sports nutrition information. There is an interest in and need for access to a qualified sports dietitian and reputable internet‐based nutrition information. Education programs and advice given to athletes need to be evaluated.

Generational change in nutrition and dietetics: The millennial dietitian

“…Crino et al also describe that women favour online methods for advertising and recruitment for weight management trials . Athletes equally prefer the internet and dietitians as their nutrition information source . With this in mind, the findings by Probst and Peng that only a third of Australian dietitians use social media professionally demonstrate a disconnect between what consumers want and what professionals are providing .…”

“…13 Athletes equally prefer the internet and dietitians as their nutrition information source. 8 With this in mind, the findings by Probst and Peng that only a third of Australian dietitians use social media professionally demonstrate a disconnect between what consumers want and what professionals are providing. 9 The 2019 Decadal Plan for nutrition science in Australia identifies the opportunities that exist for nutrition professionals to harness the communication power of social media and the internet.…”

“…This issue of Nutrition & Dietetics explores the challenges and opportunities that our modern world presents for the profession and how we can appreciate and respond to generational differences. It includes papers that report on research about technology in health-care, 5-7 communicating health information, [8][9][10][11] health and nutrition interventions [12][13][14][15][16] and education. 17,18 In addition, other reports in this issue from the international context add to the discussion.…”

Social Media Posts' Influence on College Athletes' Protein Knowledge

“…In a study conducted from Trakman et al (2019), 410 Australian elite and non-elite sports teams were surveyed about previous sources of nutrition advice and their preferred sources of nutrition information. The results of this study of this study showed that of the surveyed athletes, 44% reported previously being given nutrition advice from a dietitian yet the question did not specify whether the dietitian specialized in sports nutrition.…”

“…The results of this study of this study showed that of the surveyed athletes, 44% reported previously being given nutrition advice from a dietitian yet the question did not specify whether the dietitian specialized in sports nutrition. Furthermore, 59% reported neither having access to a dietitian nor receiving nutrition information while 87% believed having access to a dietitian or nutritionist should be available (Trakman et al, 2019). Twenty percent, 19% and 16% of athletes chose "dietitian," "internet" and "nutritionist" as their preferred source of nutrition information (Trakman et al, 2019).…”