Beyond Scope of Practice: Inferring High School Tennis Coaches' Behavior from their Nutrition and Eating Disorder Knowledge

Abstract

The primary purpose of this study was to assess high school tennis coaches’ knowledge of macronutrients and disordered eating (e.g., etiology). Other purposes included identifying confidence in knowledge and any differences between the participating coaches’ knowledge and demographic variables. To address these purposes, the 27-question Nutrition and Eating Disorders in Tennis (“NET”) Survey was created. The study design involved a one-time voluntary assessment of the Indiana coaches’ demographic variables, knowledge, sources of knowledge, and level of confidence (e.g., Not At All or Very Confident). Overall, the results revealed that the coaches lacked knowledge. The average score was 70.6%, which was below the criterion for adequate knowledge. Furthermore, the coaches lacked adequate knowledge in three of the five knowledge domains: Treatment and Prevention of Disordered Eating (63.6% ± 22.9%), Disordered Eating Signs and Symptoms (60.0% ± 21.7%), and Macronutrients (57.0% ± 22.4%). There were no significant differences between coaches’ education level, gender, or type and knowledge. However, there was in experience; the more years coached, the lower the scores. Finally, there was a trend of overconfidence in answers.