Food and Nutrition Education for Adolescent Soccer Players: Influence on Eating Habits and Promotion of Women's Health
Phase: NA
Conditions: Nutritional Assessments, Adolescent Athletic Performance, Premenstrual Syndrome
Sponsor: Federal University of São Paulo

 
 
Federal University of São Paulo 
 
 
 
Research Project  
 
 
Title:  
 
 
“Food and Nutrition Education for Adolescent Female Soccer Players: 
Influence on Eating Practices and the Promotion of Women’s Health” 
 
 
NCT: Not Available 
Date of Document: 2024-08-23 
 
 
Researchers: Maita Poli de Araújo 
                       Fernanda Mies Laino 
                       Zsuzsanna Jarmi di Bella 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
1. INTRODUCTION 
Adolescence represents a critical period of physical growth, cognitive development, 
and consolidation of lifestyle habits, including dietary habits. During this phase, 
adequate nutrition not only supports growth and physical performance but also 
influences health throughout adulthood¹. 
In adolescent athletes, nutritional demands are even more complex, as they are 
added to the requirements inherent to sports training, body composition control, and 
post-exercise recovery². 
UN Women has encouraged sports organizations to seek measures to promote 
gender equality and safe spaces for the development of technical and tactical skills, 
as well as formative competencies for adulthood³˒⁴. 
In a context of overcoming barriers and prejudice related to women’s sports, soccer 
is an increasingly consolidated reality in the national scenario⁵˒⁶, and structural 
reforms have enabled women to access adequate physical and technical preparation⁷. 
Although soccer training for men and women is technically and tactically similar, the 
differences between genders are evident and must be taken into consideration for the 
maintenance of women’s health⁸. 
The risk of lower limb injuries in women is higher compared to men, mainly due to 
the hip angle that causes greater knee instability during sprint movements⁹˒¹⁰. Girls 
tend to have a higher risk of anemia and nutritional problems due to restrictive diets 
and menstrual flow¹¹. 
Furthermore, according to hormonal fluctuations in females, studies indicate 
worsening sports performance in young athletes with excessive menstrual bleeding, 
menstrual cramps, and breast pain¹²˒¹³. 
Recent literature data indicate that 95% of female soccer players experience daily 
menstrual cycle symptoms, but few perceive themselves as having sufficient 
knowledge on the subject¹⁴. Therefore, the International Federation of Association 
Football (FIFA) has encouraged studies on female performance, educating coaching 
staff and players themselves regarding hormones, recovery, nutrition, and injury 
prevention¹⁵. 
The assessment of eating habits, supplement use, and hydration must also be 
considered¹⁶. Unfortunately, nutritional knowledge among young athletes is still 
obtained from multiple sources and references, such as coaches, physical trainers, 
family members, and the internet¹⁷. Energy deficits arise, leading to the acquisition of 
inadequate eating behaviors¹⁸˒¹⁹. Concomitantly, a nutrient-poor diet rich in saturated 

fats has contributed to increased fat mass, worsening body composition, and 
consequently poorer sports performance²⁰˒²¹˒²². 
In this context, it is recognized that adequate nutritional knowledge is an important 
determinant of food choices that favor both health and sports performance. 
Significant gaps in knowledge about sports nutrition and eating habits persist 
among adolescent athletes, which may compromise diet optimization, increasing the 
risk of insufficient energy intake, micronutrient deficiencies, and low energy 
availability — factors that may negatively impact sports performance and health²³. 
Adolescents and children may encounter several barriers to maintaining healthy 
eating behavior, depending on the low or limited health knowledge of their parents or 
caregivers. In addition, the influence of family economic status and its possible 
association with food insecurity and diet quality may also negatively affect the 
physiological and psychological development of this population²⁴. 
Most athletes do not have access to reliable nutritional information. Studies show 
that nutritional knowledge is obtained from a mix of sources and references, such as 
coaches and physical trainers, medical staff, family members, and through the 
internet and social media²⁵. 
Nutrition education programs have been proposed as effective strategies to reinforce 
understanding of nutritional concepts and promote the adoption of healthier eating 
behaviors in young populations. Nutrition education can play a dual role: not only 
improving sports performance but also contributing to the development of healthy 
eating habits that extend beyond the training field and integrate aspects of health, 
self-image, and food autonomy. 
The present study proposes to investigate changes in nutritional knowledge and 
eating practices among adolescent girls who practice field soccer in a social inclusion 
project context, evaluating the effects of an intervention based on nutrition education 
workshops. By integratively assessing knowledge and eating behavior in response to 
the intervention, it is expected to contribute to the scientific and practical 
advancement of nutritional strategies that support health, development, and the 
retention of girls in sports. 
 
2. OBJECTIVE 
Primary​
 To evaluate the nutritional knowledge of adolescent female field soccer players 
before and after a nutrition education program and its possible influence on this 
group’s eating practices. 
Secondary​
 -To identify changes in the sample’s body composition after a nutrition education 
program.​

 -To identify changes in the sample’s eating practices after a nutrition education 
program.​
 -To analyze premenstrual symptoms and their relationship with caloric intake and 
macro and micronutrient intake. 
 
3. METHODS 
3.1 Study Design​
 Prospective cohort study with intervention through a food and nutrition education 
program. The study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the Federal 
University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), under opinion number 7.027.045. 
3.2 Study Period​
 From January 2025 to December 2025. 
3.3 Assessment Instruments Before and After the Intervention​
 3.3.1 Body Composition Assessment​
 3.3.2 Self-administered questionnaire on nutritional knowledge​
 3.3.3 24-hour dietary recall​
 3.3.4 Survey of premenstrual symptoms 
3.4 STUDY SUBJECTS 
3.4.1 Definition of subjects​
 Fifty adolescent female athletes aged between 15 and 17 years and 11 months, 
amateur soccer players. 
3.4.2 Inclusion Criteria: 
●​
Age between 15 and 17 years and 11 months​
 
●​
Of reproductive age (menacme) 
3.4.3 Exclusion Criteria: 
●​
 Comorbidities 
3.5 STUDY VARIABLES 
3.5.1 DEPENDENT VARIABLE (OUTCOME)​
 Primary: Positive change in the score of the nutrition education questionnaire with 
positive changes in eating practices after the nutrition education program. 
3.5.2 INDEPENDENT VARIABLES (EXPOSURE) 
3.5.2.1 Sociodemographic variables: age 
3.5.2.2 Dietary intake/pattern assessment: number of meals per day, use of sports 
supplementation, hydration level, caloric intake, macro- and micronutrient intake 

3.5.2.3 Clinical variables: body composition, skinfold thickness, weight, height, 
premenstrual symptoms, hours of sleep 
3.5.2.5 Nutritional knowledge variables: score on the nutrition education questionnaire 
 
3.6 INTERVENTION 
The intervention in this study will occur through a food and nutrition education 
program, based on the score of correct answers in the nutritional knowledge 
questionnaires. 
Five activities will be planned, one per month, structured as a lecture followed by a 
playful pedagogical activity based on the content addressed in the class. 
 
 
 4.RESULTS 
The results of the study are still under analysis. 
 
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