2023 Volume 17 Issue 1 Pages 31-42
This study compared the outcomes of face-to-face and distance nutrition education among elementary and junior high school athletes during the coronavirus pandemic. The goal of nutrition education was to help junior athletes to build a body suitable for a growing athlete. The junior athletes were sorted into two groups, those receiving face-to-face nutrition education and those receiving distance nutrition education. All the junior athletes received tailored nutrition education after receiving an explanation that they should eat a well-balanced diet suited to their needs. The results showed significantly higher calcium and vitamin C intake among elementary school athletes in the face-to-face group (p<0.05), and significantly higher fruit intake among junior high school athletes in the face-to-face group (p<0.05). Furthermore, this experiment revealed that junior athletes in both groups had a high level of achievement if they set their own action goals, which suggested the importance of devising a method of nutrition education that enables the learner to set appropriate nutrition-related goals. Utilizing a self-checklist was also found to be an effective method for supporting continued behavior modification in both education groups. The findings of this study suggest that a strong educational outcome to maintain and improve health can be expected even during the coronavirus pandemic, by implementing nutrition education that takes these points into consideration.
