Nutrition Quotient and Dietary Self-efficacy according to the Transtheoretical Model in Adolescent Athletes

PURPOSE This study aimed to explore the direction of nutrition management and education for adolescent athletes based on the transtheoretical model (TTM). METHODS This cross-sectional study was conducted on 205 male adolescent athletes using questionnaires in Seoul and Gyeonggi provinces. Differences in nutritional indices, dietary behaviors, and dietary self-efficacies were compared according to the stage of dietary behavior change, and significance was verified using analysis of variance and chi-square tests. RESULTS According to the stage of change in dietary behavior, a significant difference was observed in the grade and score of the nutrition quotient (NQ), and the nutritional status and quality of meals were extremely poor in the precontemplation and contemplation groups. Dietary self-efficacy differed significantly according to the stage of change in dietary behavior. Compared to the pre-contemplation and contemplation stage groups, the action and maintenance stage groups had a higher willingness to practice desirable dietary behaviors and overcome barriers. CONCLUSIONS In this study, we demonstrated that individualized nutritional intervention based on TTM was an effective strategy for healthy dietary behavior and had a positive impact on adolescent athletes’ sports performance. Furthermore, nutrition education should include content that enhances students’ dietary self-efficacy.