Dietary habits and associated factors among athletes in athletic clubs in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.20372/ejphn.V7i2.245Keywords:
dietary habits, athletes, athletic clubs, Addis Ababa, nutrition, nutritional counselingAbstract
Background: Athletics encompasses a variety of events, each with distinct demands and chances of success. Optimal nutrition is essential for enhancing training performance and reducing the risk of injury and illness. However, there is limited research on dietary habits and their associated factors among athletes in Ethiopia.
Objective: This study aimed to assess the dietary habits and associated factors among athletes at first-division athletic clubs in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Methods: An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted at athletic clubs in Addis Ababa. A total of 422 athletes participated in the study. Stratified random sampling was used to allocate the sample size across various athletic disciplines, and participants were selected through simple random sampling from lists of athletes. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire. Binary logistic regression was employed to identify factors associated with dietary habits. Variables with a p-value less than 0.2 in the bivariate analysis were entered into multivariate logistic regression. The adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) and p-value less than 0.05 were used to determine the strength and statistical significance of the associations.
Results: Over half of the participants (53.7%; 95% CI: 48.7-58.6) exhibited good dietary habits. Factors significantly associated with good dietary habits included age 30-35 years (AOR, 2.6; 95% CI: 1.1-5.9), a throwing discipline (AOR, 4.1; 95% CI: 1.3-13.2), monthly income greater than 8,000 ETB (AOR, 3.4; 95% CI: 1.1-11.1), good nutritional knowledge (AOR, 1.78; 95% CI: 1.11-2.8), and receiving nutritional counseling (AOR, 2.87; 95% CI: 1.4-5.5).
Conclusion: More than half of the athletes in Addis Ababa's athletic clubs exhibited good dietary habits. Age, income, type of discipline, nutritional knowledge, and nutritional counseling were found to be significant factors associated with these habits. To support athletes' nutritional needs, it is crucial for government bodies and relevant organizations to develop nutritional counseling programs and policies, raise awareness about nutrition tailored to specific athletic disciplines, and enhance athletes' access to nutritional education.
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