Abstract
This phenomenological research is aimed to explore the perspectives of parents about the healthy body and dietary requirements for youth athletes. Data were obtained from the Javanese Muslim parents who have children who are youth athletes in two provinces of Indonesia, Central Java and East Java. Interviews were conducted with nine participants using a semi-structured guideline. Data analysis used Giorgi phenomenological approach. This study found various perceptions about the healthy body and dieting of youth athletes. Parents perceived a healthy body could be shown by no injury and the ability to reach the targets in either training or competing. As Muslims, they emphasized the importance of providing halal food because the food that enters the body would affect bodily functions. They stressed the importance of supplements to replace the lack of nutrients in the body and increased water intake. However, they expressed confusion in the composition, portion and frequency of nutrition for athletes. The limited understanding of nutrition for athletes urged parents to value the importance of advice from health workers related to maintaining athletes’ performance and the nutrition they needed. The results of this study indicated the need to improve parents’ knowledge and skills regarding nutrition management to maintain athletes’ performance by considering Islamic laws.
Highlights
Parents are some of those adults who have a main contribution to the care of young talented children (Wiersma and Fifer, 2008; Wu, 2008). They make extra efforts to meet the needs of youth athletes compared to parents who have children of average ability
The phenomenological descriptive methodology from Giorgi was used to obtain the understanding of healthy body and nutrition of youth athletes among Javanese Muslim parents from East and Central Java, Indonesia
All parents believe that having a healthy body is an asset for athletes to support their careers
Summary
Being an athlete at a young age provides an additional burden on teenagers. They must be able to keep a balance between roles as students and as athletes. They are pressured to become champions in every national or international competition that they participate in They have to practice consistently at high intensity from childhood to prepare them physically well for competition (Gould and Whitley, 2009; Manzi et al, 2010; Scott et al, 2013). Parents are some of those adults who have a main contribution to the care of young talented children (Wiersma and Fifer, 2008; Wu, 2008) They make extra efforts to meet the needs of youth athletes compared to parents who have children of average ability. Parents are the main source of support in helping in the coping process during the end of season injury and in maintaining a healthy body (Wuerth et al, 2004) Based on this phenomenon, the perspective of parents about the healthy body and dietary requirements for athletes needs to be explored. This research was needed to be able to explore new understanding regarding the healthy body and dietary requirements for youth athletes through the perspective of Javanese Muslim parents
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