Abstract
PURPOSE: Reliable assessment of sports nutrition knowledge (SNK) would help inform athlete nutrition education to address knowledge gaps. Electronic assessment is an accessible option able to provide immediate feedback. The aim of the study was to validate an electronic SNK assessment tool - Platform to Evaluate Athlete Knowledge of Sports Nutrition Questionnaire (PEAKS-NQ). METHODS: PEAKS-NQ was informed by focus groups with sports nutritionists (n=16) from elite sports institutes in Australia and New Zealand (NZ) with content validity established via a modified Delphi Process. The PEAKS-NQ captured demographics (Section A) and assessed SNK across 5 domains (Sections B-F; max score 113 points). PEAKS-NQ was deployed to 92 developmental (junior) athletes (DA) in NZ, with a subset (n=50) invited to complete a re-test to evaluate reliability. To establish construct validity via the known groups method, 255 accredited sports dietitians (ASD) were invited to complete PEAKS-NQ. Score differences between DA and ASD were analysed using independent t or non-parametric tests. Reliability and internal consistency were evaluated using Sign Tests and Cronbach’s α (good = ≥0.8) respectively. Results are reported as mean±SD. RESULTS: DA (n=88) were 17.6±1.4y, 61.4% female, and mostly in high school (94.3%). ASD (n=45) were 37.8±7.6y, 82.2% female, with >5 years of dietetic experience (59.1%). ASD scored higher in all sections and overall (91.5±3.4%) compared to DA (67.1±10.5%)(p<0.001). Both DA and ASD scored best on Section B - Food groups (87.1±8.5 v 98.5±3.5%, p<0.001) and lowest on Section D - Applied Sports Nutrition (51.1±13.8 v 86.7±10.0%, p<0.001). In DA, there were no section or overall differences between re-tests (n=18; p=0.14). Overall Cronbach’s α was good (0.86). Overall median completion time was 24 minutes. CONCLUSIONS: PEAKS-NQ is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing SNK in athletes. A final stage of testing with more athletes will assist in establishing score ranges and factors influencing SNK.
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