Food environment in youth sports

Abstract

Many Icelandic children are engaged in organized sports during leisure time. These children are influenced by factors in the sporting environment and this has been found to be an important setting for health promotion which is the process of enabling people to increase control over their health and improve it. The determinants of health are, in addition to individual characteristics and behaviours, the social, economic, and physical environment. A healthy nutrition environment increases the possibilities of accessing healthy food and beverages. The aim of the study was to observe food choices among 10-18 year old children and the food environment of their sports club, Ungmennafélagið Afturelding (UMFA), located in the municipality of Mosfellsbær. The municipality has been a pioneer as a health promoting community since 2013. The approach aimed to gain insight into how the food environment of the sports center can impact food choices of children in sports and also to explore parents’ and children’s perception of food and drinks available at the center.

The hypotheses were: A) that food choices in relation to children’s sports were limited by availability in the sports center and that the supply was a possible hindrance for choosing healthy foods. B) that food-related marketing and advertisements were prominent in the food environment and that this would be experienced by both children and parents as a hindrance to choosing healthy foods. This cross-sectional study involved 221 children, 105 girls and 116 boys, participating in seven different sports and their parents ($n=175$). Two similar questionnaires were used, one for parents and one for children. Observational assessment of the food environment was also conducted, including registration of the number and type of advertisements the children were exposed to and food items sold at the sports center.

 

The results show that food choices associated with training seemed rather healthy and nutritious. Few children bought meals on a regular basis at the sports center, but more girls (15%) than boys (9%) did so occasionally. When asked about the food environment, the children were more positive towards the facilities than the parents, as 40% of the children reported that the facilities were good or very good, compared to 18% of the parents. Parents considered food available at home, as well as the influence of coaches and friends, as major incentives for healthy eating before and after training. According to parents, the major hindrances were lack of time, price, facilities, and types of food available at the sports center. Observational assessment concluded that most of the food and drinks sold at the center were energy dense and nutritionally poor and that food advertisements were most prominent in the main hall. It can be concluded that it is important to reconsider facilities and the variety of foods and drinks sold at the sports centre. The results of this study can be used as a basis for health promotion initiatives and the development of nutritional policies for sports clubs.