Sports nutrition knowledge and perceptions among professional basketball athletes and coaches in Lebanon-a cross-sectional study

Abstract Background Basketball is the most popular sport in Lebanon. Adequate nutrition has been established to be a key component of optimal athletic performance, recovery from exercise and exercise-induced injury and documented to be associated with adequate nutrition knowledge (NK). In Lebanon, n...

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Main Authors: Jocelyne Matar Boumosleh, Catherine el Hage, Antoine Farhat
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2021-05-01
Series:BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s13102-021-00280-6
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author Jocelyne Matar Boumosleh
Catherine el Hage
Antoine Farhat
author_facet Jocelyne Matar Boumosleh
Catherine el Hage
Antoine Farhat
author_sort Jocelyne Matar Boumosleh
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background Basketball is the most popular sport in Lebanon. Adequate nutrition has been established to be a key component of optimal athletic performance, recovery from exercise and exercise-induced injury and documented to be associated with adequate nutrition knowledge (NK). In Lebanon, nutrition education is not incorporated into the basketball player training program and there is no established position for sports nutritionists in basketball clubs. To our knowledge, the present study is the first to evaluate the NK status of Division I Basketball (D1B) players /coaches in Lebanon. The objectives of this study are to assess the prevalence of inadequate NK; identify the gaps in NK, main sources of nutrition information, perceptions on sports nutrition and independent predictors of inadequate NK among D1B players and coaches in Lebanon. Methods All D1B players (n = 184) and coaches (n = 16) in Lebanon were invited to participate in the study. Study participants were asked to complete a questionnaire that included questions on NK, resources and perceptions. A percentage of ≥60% of NK questions answered correctly was used as indicative of having adequate NK. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the sample characteristics. The T-test and chi square test were used for comparisons of means and proportions, respectively. Logistic regression was used to explore the predictors of inadequate NK in D1B players. Results The sample consisted of 178 D1B players (nM = 126; nF = 52) and 11 male coaches, resulting in survey response rates of 97 and 69%, respectively. Inadequate NK was found among about 80 and 54% of D1B players and coaches, respectively. Inadequate NK was found to be independently associated with lack of nutrition education in D1B players. Conclusions Despite widespread lack of adequate NK among D1B players and coaches in Lebanon, our sports clubs do not have dietitians. Basketball sports clubs in Lebanon should start to budget for hiring a dietitian or carrying out nutrition education campaigns that are based on analyses of incorrect responses of our study participants. Findings of this study are of tremendous significance to D1B players in Lebanon in terms of improving the athletes’ physical health and performance.
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spelling doaj.art-e7844318f8ff4c8ea0c88fc31cdb05bd2022-12-21T19:50:07ZengBMCBMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation2052-18472021-05-0113111910.1186/s13102-021-00280-6Sports nutrition knowledge and perceptions among professional basketball athletes and coaches in Lebanon-a cross-sectional studyJocelyne Matar Boumosleh0Catherine el Hage1Antoine Farhat2Faculty of Nursing and Health Sciences, Notre Dame University-LouaizeFaculty of Nursing and Health Sciences, Notre Dame University-LouaizeFaculty of Nursing and Health Sciences, Notre Dame University-LouaizeAbstract Background Basketball is the most popular sport in Lebanon. Adequate nutrition has been established to be a key component of optimal athletic performance, recovery from exercise and exercise-induced injury and documented to be associated with adequate nutrition knowledge (NK). In Lebanon, nutrition education is not incorporated into the basketball player training program and there is no established position for sports nutritionists in basketball clubs. To our knowledge, the present study is the first to evaluate the NK status of Division I Basketball (D1B) players /coaches in Lebanon. The objectives of this study are to assess the prevalence of inadequate NK; identify the gaps in NK, main sources of nutrition information, perceptions on sports nutrition and independent predictors of inadequate NK among D1B players and coaches in Lebanon. Methods All D1B players (n = 184) and coaches (n = 16) in Lebanon were invited to participate in the study. Study participants were asked to complete a questionnaire that included questions on NK, resources and perceptions. A percentage of ≥60% of NK questions answered correctly was used as indicative of having adequate NK. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the sample characteristics. The T-test and chi square test were used for comparisons of means and proportions, respectively. Logistic regression was used to explore the predictors of inadequate NK in D1B players. Results The sample consisted of 178 D1B players (nM = 126; nF = 52) and 11 male coaches, resulting in survey response rates of 97 and 69%, respectively. Inadequate NK was found among about 80 and 54% of D1B players and coaches, respectively. Inadequate NK was found to be independently associated with lack of nutrition education in D1B players. Conclusions Despite widespread lack of adequate NK among D1B players and coaches in Lebanon, our sports clubs do not have dietitians. Basketball sports clubs in Lebanon should start to budget for hiring a dietitian or carrying out nutrition education campaigns that are based on analyses of incorrect responses of our study participants. Findings of this study are of tremendous significance to D1B players in Lebanon in terms of improving the athletes’ physical health and performance.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13102-021-00280-6BasketballNutritionKnowledgeCoachesPlayersLebanon
spellingShingle Jocelyne Matar Boumosleh
Catherine el Hage
Antoine Farhat
Sports nutrition knowledge and perceptions among professional basketball athletes and coaches in Lebanon-a cross-sectional study
BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation
Basketball
Nutrition
Knowledge
Coaches
Players
Lebanon
title Sports nutrition knowledge and perceptions among professional basketball athletes and coaches in Lebanon-a cross-sectional study
title_full Sports nutrition knowledge and perceptions among professional basketball athletes and coaches in Lebanon-a cross-sectional study
title_fullStr Sports nutrition knowledge and perceptions among professional basketball athletes and coaches in Lebanon-a cross-sectional study
title_full_unstemmed Sports nutrition knowledge and perceptions among professional basketball athletes and coaches in Lebanon-a cross-sectional study
title_short Sports nutrition knowledge and perceptions among professional basketball athletes and coaches in Lebanon-a cross-sectional study
title_sort sports nutrition knowledge and perceptions among professional basketball athletes and coaches in lebanon a cross sectional study
topic Basketball
Nutrition
Knowledge
Coaches
Players
Lebanon
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s13102-021-00280-6
work_keys_str_mv AT jocelynematarboumosleh sportsnutritionknowledgeandperceptionsamongprofessionalbasketballathletesandcoachesinlebanonacrosssectionalstudy
AT catherineelhage sportsnutritionknowledgeandperceptionsamongprofessionalbasketballathletesandcoachesinlebanonacrosssectionalstudy
AT antoinefarhat sportsnutritionknowledgeandperceptionsamongprofessionalbasketballathletesandcoachesinlebanonacrosssectionalstudy