DIETARY INTAKE HABIT AND NUTRITIONAL KNOWLEDGE, OF ABEKUTE ATHLETICS CLUB, FERESBET, DEGA DAMOT WOREDA, AMHARA REGIONAL STATE, ETHIOPIA.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was conducted to assess the nutritional knowledge and dietary intake habits of Abekute athletics club athletes. A descriptive survey study design was used to achieve the objectives. The participants of the study were 46 athletes inclusively, 2 head coaches and 1 club manager purposively included From Abekute athletics club. Relevant data were collected through questionnaires, interviews, and document reviews. The quantitative data was obtained from questionnaires and the qualitative data was detained from interviews and document reviews. The data obtained through questionnaire were analyzed and summarized using statistical tools. The statistics were entered into SPSS Version 20.0 software for analysis. Frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation were used as statistical measures to perform the quantitative data collected from the respondents. Moreover, the data gathered through open-ended questionnaires, interviews and document reviews were considered to complement the data obtained through questionnaires and it was analyzed qualitatively. The findings of the study revealed that athlete’s general nutritional knowledge of searching and acquiring nutritional information, nutritional behaviors, experience regarding to event meal strategies, and dietary intake habits was poor. And also, skipping breakfast, knowledge concerning to basic nutrient facts and realization was widespread in Abekute athletics club. Therefore, based on the findings, it can be concluded the Abekute athletics club athletes verified the shortage of dietary intake habits and nutritional knowledge in the club. Based on the conclusion drawn, it was recommended that the club athletes, coaching staffs, and club administrators should offer countless emphasis about athlete’s nutritional knowledge with the credit of nutritional counselor.