A study on the awareness and education status of sports nutrition in college students majoring in physical education: based on the career selection

PURPOSE: Nutrition is an important part of sports activities. This study aimed to investigate the basic knowledge of nutrition of college students majoring in physical education and to identify the completion rates of subjects according to their desired occupation. METHODS: The study was conducted on 389 college students, aged above 20 years, in the Republic of Korea. The survey consisted of a total of 23 questions and was conducted through a 100% non-face-to-face online survey. The SPSS WIN 26.0 program was used for statistical analysis; statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. RESULTS: According to the study results, only approximately 30% of respondents took nutrition classes at universities, and the completion rate was in the order: treatment and rehabilitation > education > players > others (p < 0.001). Further, less than 5% of respondents took nutrition classes at non-university institutions. Self-assessment of one's nutritional knowledge was also very low; however, many subjects perceived the necessity and importance of nutritional knowledge (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The study findings reveal that students recognize the importance and necessity of nutrition knowledge, but there is a lack of sufficient university education and suitable external institutions. The Korea Exercise Nutrition Expert Qualification Training course conducted by The Korean Society Exercise Nutrition, started in 2023, is a good opportunity to deliver the necessary nutritional knowledge to students and physical education majors.