Effects of a Nutrition Education Program on Mediterranean Diet Adherence in School-Age Boys Playing Amateur Soccer: A Pilot Pre–Post Study

Introduction: Evidence on nutrition education in amateur youth soccer is limited. This study evaluated the effects of a structured nutrition education program on Mediterranean diet quality, dietary intake patterns (food-group consumption frequency), anthropometrics, and healthy eating self-efficacy in school-age boys playing amateur soccer. Methods: A single-group pilot pre–post study was conducted in a sports club, including 60 boys aged 8–10 years (9.10 ± 0.80). The intervention comprised four weekly sessions based on the Turkish Dietary Guidelines (TÜBER), delivered in four groups (~15 children/group), each lasting 20–30 minutes, with take-home leaflets for parents. Outcomes included height, body mass and BMI (WHO AnthroPlus Z-scores), the Children’s Healthy Eating Self-Efficacy Scale (CHSE-ES), the Mediterranean Diet Quality Index for Children and Adolescents (KIDMED), and food consumption frequency. Results: KIDMED scores increased after the program (p < 0.001), with fewer children classified as low adherence and more as high adherence. Overall, reported consumption shifted toward more nutrient-dense choices and less energy-dense snack foods (all p < 0.05). Healthy eating self-efficacy did not change significantly (p > 0.05). Anthropometric indicators showed no significant pre–post differences overall (p > 0.05). Conclusions: A brief nutrition education program delivered in a sports club setting was associated with improved Mediterranean diet quality and favorable changes in reported dietary patterns, while self-efficacy and anthropometric outcomes remained unchanged over the short follow-up. Controlled studies with larger samples and longer follow-up are warranted.