The Relationship Between General and Sports Nutrition Knowledge and Psychological Well-Being Levels Among University Students

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the general and sports nutrition knowledge and psychological well-being of university students. A total of 450 students from Ondokuz Mayıs University completed the General and Sports Nutrition Knowledge Scale and the Psychological Well-Being Scale. Independent samples t-tests and one-way ANOVA were used to compare groups, with post hoc tests applied when appropriate. Results showed no significant gender differences in nutrition knowledge (p > .05), whereas male students reported higher psychological well-being than females (p < .05). Significant differences were observed in both general and sports nutrition knowledge and psychological well-being according to faculty type (p < .05 and p < .001), with students from the Faculty of Sport Sciences scoring higher than those from other faculties. Among Sport Sciences students, participation in team versus individual sports did not significantly affect nutrition knowledge or well-being scores (p > .05). Regression analysis indicated that nutrition knowledge significantly predicted psychological well-being, F(1, 448) = 99.38, p < .001, explaining 18.2% of the variance. Overall, students demonstrated above-average general and sports nutrition knowledge and moderate levels of psychological well-being. These findings highlight the potential benefit of integrating nutrition education into university curricula, including courses, workshops, or seminars, to enhance both dietary knowledge and psychological well-being. The results underscore the importance of targeted educational programs, particularly for students outside sport-related disciplines, to support overall health and mental well-being. Future research should explore longitudinal and intervention-based designs to clarify the causal relationship between nutrition knowledge and psychological well-being among diverse student populations.

Keywords

• athlete
• nutrition
• psychological well-being
• student

Üniversite Öğrencilerinin Genel ve Spor Beslenme Bilgisi ile Psikolojik İyi Olma Düzeyleri Arasındaki İlişki

Abstract

Bu çalışma, üniversite öğrencilerinin genel ve spor beslenme bilgilerini ve psikolojik iyilik hallerini incelemek amacıyla yapılmıştır. Ondokuz Mayıs Üniversitesi'nden toplam 450 öğrenci, Genel ve Spor Beslenme Bilgi Ölçeği ile Psikolojik İyilik Hali Ölçeği'ni doldurmuştur. Grupları karşılaştırmak için bağımsız örneklem t-testi ve tek yönlü ANOVA kullanılmış ve post hoc testler uygulanmıştır. Sonuçlar, beslenme bilgisinde cinsiyetler arasında anlamlı bir fark olmadığını gösterirken (p > .05), erkek öğrencilerin kadınlara göre daha yüksek psikolojik iyilik hali bildirdiklerini ortaya koymuştur (p < .05). Fakülte türüne göre hem genel hem de spor beslenme bilgisi ve psikolojik iyilik hali açısından anlamlı farklar gözlemlenmiştir (p < .05 ve p < .001), Spor Bilimleri Fakültesi öğrencileri diğer fakültelerden daha yüksek puanlar almıştır. Spor Bilimleri öğrencileri arasında, takım sporlarına veya bireysel sporlara katılım, beslenme bilgisi veya psikolojik iyi oluş puanlarını önemli ölçüde etkilememiştir (p > .05). Regresyon analizi, beslenme bilgisinin psikolojik iyi oluşu önemli ölçüde öngördüğünü göstermiştir, F(1, 448) = 99,38, p < .001, varyansın %18,2'sini açıklamaktadır. Genel olarak, öğrenciler ortalamanın üzerinde genel ve spor beslenme bilgisi ve orta düzeyde psikolojik iyi oluşa sahipti. Bu bulgular, hem beslenme bilgisini hem de psikolojik iyi oluşu artırmak için dersler, atölye çalışmaları veya seminerler dahil olmak üzere beslenme eğitimini üniversite müfredatına entegre etmenin potansiyel faydasını vurgulamaktadır. Sonuçlar, genel sağlık ve zihinsel iyi oluşu desteklemek için, özellikle sporla ilgili disiplinler dışındaki öğrenciler için hedefli eğitim programlarının önemini vurgulamaktadır. Gelecekteki araştırmalar, çeşitli öğrenci popülasyonlarında beslenme bilgisi ve psikolojik iyi oluş arasındaki nedensel ilişkiyi açıklığa kavuşturmak için boylamsal ve müdahaleye dayalı tasarımları incelemelidir.

Keywords

• sporcu
• beslenme
• psikolojik iyi oluş
• öğrenci

References

1. Aksu, A., Altun, S., İmamoğlu, O., & Karacabey, K. (2020). Investigation of eating behaviors in young wrestlers. Postmodern Openings, 11(2), 163–174. https://doi.org/10.18662/po/11.2/168
2. Altınok, Ö., & Güvenç, H. (2022). Genel ve sporcu beslenme bilgisi ölçeği Türkçe formu: Lise ve üniversite öğrencileri için geçerlik ve güvenirlik çalışması. Hacettepe Üniversitesi Sağlık Bilimleri Fakültesi Dergisi, 9, 701–715.
3. Altun, S., Aksu, A., İmamoğlu, O., Erdoğdu, M., & Karacabey, K. (2021). Investigation of the nutritional approaches of student athletes during the COVID-19 epidemic. Pakistan Journal of Medical and Health Sciences, 15(6), 2031–2034. https://doi.org/10.53350/pjmhs211562031
4. Andrews, A., Wojcik, J. R., Boyd, J. M., & Bowers, C. J. (2016). Sports nutrition knowledge among mid-major Division I university student-athletes. Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism, 2016, Article 3172460. https://doi.org/10.1155/2016/3172460
5. Arı, M., & Arslan, N. (2020). Beslenmenin sağlık üzerindeki etkileri. Sağlık Bilimleri Dergisi, 9(2), 85–94. Atan, T., & İmamoğlu, O. (2020). Nutritional habits according to gender, stage of exercise behavior, and BMI. Turkish Journal of Sport and Exercise, 22(3), 505–512.
6. Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. New York, NY: W. H. Freeman.
7. Belogianni, K., Ooms, A., Lykou, A., & Moir, H. J. (2021). Nutrition knowledge among university students in the UK: A cross-sectional study. Public Health Nutrition, 25(10), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980021004754
8. Boehm, J. K., Soo, J., Zevon, E. S., Chen, Y., Kim, E. S., & Kubzansky, L. D. (2018). Longitudinal associations between psychological well-being and the consumption of fruits and vegetables. Health Psychology, 37(10), 959–967. https://doi.org/10.1037/hea0000643

9. Calella, P., Iacullo, V. M., & Valerio, G. (2017). Validation of a general and sport nutrition knowledge questionnaire in adolescents and young adults: GeSNK. Nutrients, 9(5), Article 439. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu9050439
10. Capra, M. E., Stanyevic, B., Giudice, A., Monopoli, D., Decarolis, N. M., Esposito, S., & Biasucci, G. (2024). Nutrition for children and adolescents who practice sport: A narrative review. Nutrients, 16(16), Article 2803. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16162803
11. Çebi, M., Eliöz, M., Yamak, B., İmamoğlu, O., & Aksoy, Y. (2020). Investigation of food consumption frequency in sports faculty students. Progress in Nutrition, 22(2), 507–514. https://doi.org/10.23751/pn.v22i2.9253
12. Diener, E., Wirtz, D., Biswas-Diener, R., Tov, W., Kim-Prieto, C., Choi, D. W., & Oishi, S. (2009). New measures of well-being. In E. Diener (Ed.), Assessing well-being: The collected works of Ed Diener (Social Indicators Research Series, Vol. 39, pp. 247–266). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-2354-4_12
13. Durmuş, H., Balcı, E., Oral, B., & İncedal Sonkaya, Z. (2018). Knowledge of food literacy and food safety among Turkish adults. Erciyes Medical Journal, 40(2), 81–86. https://doi.org/10.5152/etd.2018.0011
14. Ermiş, E., Doğan, E., Erilli, N. A., & Satıcı, A. (2015). Üniversite öğrencilerinin beslenme alışkanlıklarının incelenmesi: Ondokuz Mayıs Üniversitesi örneği. Spor ve Performans Araştırmaları Dergisi, 6(1), 30–40.
15. Ferraris, C., Guglielmetti, M., Trentani, C., & Tagliabue, A. (2019). Assessment of dietary underreporting in Italian college team sport athletes. Nutrients, 11(6), Article 1391. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11061391
16. Ghazzawi, H. A., Nimer, L. S., Haddad, A. J., Alhaj, O. A., Amawi, A. T., Pandi-Perumal, S. R., Trabelsi, K., Seeman, M. V., & Jahrami, H. (2024). A systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression of the prevalence of self-reported disordered eating and associated factors among athletes worldwide. Journal of Eating Disorders, 12(1), Article 24. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-024-00982-5
17. Gómez-Pinilla, F. (2008). Brain foods: The effects of nutrients on brain function. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 9(7), 568–578. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn2421
18. Harrington, R. N. (2025). Exercise behaviors and nutrition knowledge and practices among trained athletes: A cross-sectional study. Journal of Exercise and Nutrition, 8(1), Article 9, 1–5.
19. Hong, S. A., & Peltzer, K. (2017). Dietary behaviour, psychological well-being and mental distress among adolescents in Korea. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health, 11, Article 56. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13034-017-0194-z
20. Jacka, F. N., Cherbuin, N., Anstey, K. J., & Butterworth, P. (2014). Dietary patterns and depressive symptoms over time: Examining the relationships with socioeconomic position, health behaviours and cardiovascular risk. PLOS ONE, 9(1), Article e87657. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0087657
21. Jacka, F. N., O’Neil, A., Opie, R., Itsiopoulos, C., Cotton, S., Mohebbi, M., Berk, M., et al. (2017). A randomised controlled trial of dietary improvement for adults with major depression (the SMILES trial). BMC Medicine, 15(1), Article 23. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-017-0791-y
22. Keyes, C. L. M., Shmotkin, D., & Ryff, C. D. (2002). Optimizing well-being: The empirical encounter of two traditions. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 82(6), 1007–1022. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.82.6.1007
23. Lai, J. S., Hiles, S., Bisquera, A., Hure, A. J., McEvoy, M., & Attia, J. (2014). A systematic review and meta-analysis of dietary patterns and depression in community-dwelling adults. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 99(1), 181–197. https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.113.069880
24. Landry, M. J., Gundersen, C., & Eicher-Miller, H. A. (2021). Food insecurity on college and university campuses: A context and rationale for solutions. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 122(3), 519–524. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2021.10.021
25. Marx, W., Moseley, G., Berk, M., & Jacka, F. (2017). Nutritional psychiatry: The present state of the evidence. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 76(4), 427–436.
26. Muurinen, S., Soini, H., Suominen, M., & Pitkälä, K. (2010). Nutritional status and psychological well-being. e-SPEN: The European e-Journal of Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism, 5(1), e26–e29. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eclnm.2009.11.003
27. Nutbeam, D. (2000). Health literacy as a public health goal: a challenge for contemporary health education and communication strategies into the 21st century. Health promotion international, 15(3), 259-267.
28. O’Neil, A., Quirk, S. E., Housden, S., Brennan, S. L., Williams, L. J., Pasco, J. A., & Jacka, F. N. (2014). Relationship between diet and mental health in children and adolescents: A systematic review. American Journal of Public Health, 104(10), e31–e42. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2014.302110
29. Sangsefidi, Z. S., Mirzaei, M., & Hosseinzadeh, M. (2020). May the relation between dietary intakes and psychological disorders in Iranian adults: A population-based study. BMC Psychiatry, 20(1), Article 257. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-020-02678-x
30. Seyhan, S. (2018). Evaluation of the use of nutrition support products in taekwondo athletes. Journal of Education and Learning, 7(6), 222–229.
31. Solomou, A., Logue, J., Reilly, S., & Perez-Algorta, G. (2023). A systematic review of the association of diet quality with the mental health of university students: Implications in health education practice. Health Education Research, 38(1), 28–68. https://doi.org/10.1093/her/cyac035
32. Swainson, J., Reeson, M., Malik, U., Stefanuk, I., Cummins, M., & Sivapalan, S. (2023). Diet and depression: A systematic review of whole dietary interventions as treatment in patients with depression. Journal of Affective Disorders, 327, 270–278. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2023.07.052
33. Telef, B. B. (2013). Psikolojik iyi oluş ölçeği (PİOO): Türkçeye uyarlama, geçerlik ve güvenirlik çalışması. Hacettepe Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, 28(3), 374–384.
34. Yıldırım, A., Özkan, M., & Kaya, R. (2021). Üniversite öğrencilerinin beslenme alışkanlıkları ve ruh sağlığı ilişkisi. Beslenme ve Diyetetik Dergisi, 49(1), 34–42.
35. Yıldırım, Y., Muftuoglu, N. E., & İmamoğlu, O. (2021). Investigation of sports-trained students’ eating habits according to some parameters before and during the coronavirus outbreak. Progress in Nutrition, 23(1), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.23751/pn.v23iS1.11522
36. Yılmaz, G., Şeker, R., & Şengür, E. (2021). Determination of athlete nutrition knowledge level of university students: Üniversite öğrencilerinin sporcu beslenme bilgi düzeylerinin belirlenmesi. Journal of Human Sciences, 18(4), 760–771. https://doi.org/10.14687/jhs.v18i4.6229
37. Yücel, N. (2015). Beslenme ve hastalıklar arasındaki ilişki. Halk Sağlığı Dergisi, 2(1), 14–21.