Sport and children's nutrition: what can we learn from the junior Australian football setting?

ABSTRACT

There is a widely held belief that sport participation inherently enhances health among youth. Such a perception often motivates parents to encourage children's initial and ongoing involvement in organised sport and physical activity. While sport certainly comprises an important vehicle for accruing physical activity, the sport environment may not necessarily enhance other health-related behaviours, including dietary practices. The literature identifies the influence of the physical environment in this regard, including the availability of energy-dense nutrient-poor foods in sport settings. In considering additional influences on children's nutrition in sporting contexts, the role of parents is less understood. This is the first paper to emerge from a larger qualitative study, in which the basis of the investigation was to explore parental influence in the junior Australian football context. The naturalistic manner of qualitative inquiry led to a number of unintended yet highly pertinent emergent themes, including the role of parents in maintaining and reinforcing some contentious dietary behaviours among children post weekend sport. Drawing on individual interviews and focus groups with parents, children and coaches (n = 102), this paper discusses the role of parents in reinforcing a ‘food-as-reward’ culture in the junior Australian football setting. The findings indicate that while parents play a vital role in promoting good nutrition in the lead up to weekend sport, they also reinforce a culture that fosters unhealthy dietary practices in the post-game setting. This gives rise to the notion that we, in this paper, have coined the ‘binge-purge’ paradox. This paper discusses the implications of this health issue in relation to the ‘sport for health’ rhetoric, and in broader society and culture.

KEYWORDS:

• parents in sport
• children's nutrition
• Australian football
• sport and health

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Sam Elliott is a Lecturer in Sport, Health, Physical Education and Physical Activity in the School of Education and is an active member of the SHAPE research centre. Sam's research brings focus to the social, cultural and pedagogical dimensions of Australian football and youth sport. Sam is currently researching parental involvement in youth sport and the role of parents in the specialising years. He has published on issues relating to parents in sport and presented his work internationally.

Stefania Velardo is a Lecturer in Health Education in the School of Education, Flinders University. Stefania is an active member of the Flinders University SHAPE research centre. Her doctorate explored the topic of children's health literacy with a sample of preadolescent children living in low socio-economic region of South Australia. She is passionate about qualitative research methods that capture children's perspectives on matters relating to nutrition, physical activity and health.

Murray Drummond is the Director of the SHAPE research centre (Sport, Health and Physical Education) at Flinders University. His research interests are based around qualitative sport and health research with a particular interest in masculinities and body image. His current research includes a longitudinal research project with boys from early childhood through to adolescence investigating issues around masculinities within sport and health.

Claire Drummond is an Associate Professor in Social Health Sciences within the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences. Claire researches in physical activity and gender, school canteens and school health promotion, and is a strong advocate of promoting physical activity among adolescent. Claire is currently evaluating the Right Bite School Canteen Guidelines in South Australia. Claire is an academic head in Social Health Science and member of the SHAPE research centre.