Author(s): KAMPA, L., ZOLOVS, M., REIHMANE, D., Institution: RIGA STRADINS UNIVERSITY, Country: LATVIA, Abstract-ID: 1146

INTRODUCTION:
Food choices and dietary intake are important for athletes' health, well-being, and performance. Youth athletes have particularly high energy and nutrient needs due to growth and training demands. This study aimed to identify the food choice motives and dietary practices of Latvian youth athletes.
METHODS:
Food choice motives were assessed using 43 items within 11 domains: nine from the validated Food Choice Questionnaire (FCQ; Steptoe et al., 1995) and two athlete-specific domains (Thurecht & Pelly, 2019). Items were rated on a 4-point Likert scale (1-4), and domain scores were calculated as means of items in each domain. Self-reported data included dietary practices, body perception, and demographic characteristics; height and weight were measured by trained staff. Domain scores were summarized across participants as median and interquartile range (IQR). FCQ domain scores were compared between sex (Mann–Whitney U test), weight status and body perception groups (Kruskal–Wallis H test), and with age (Spearman's rank correlation).
RESULTS:
Preliminary analysis included 83 youth athletes (62.7% boys, 37.3% girls) with a mean age of 14.5 +/- 1.5 years. All train at least four times per week in the Latvian Sports School system and participate in competitions. Sports represented were basketball, football, track and field, floorball, and skeleton. Most participants (88.9%) were healthy weight based on BMI z-scores. The leading food choice motives were sports performance (3.7, IQR 3.0-3.7) and health (3.0, IQR 2.7-3.3), whereas ethical concerns were least important (1.5, IQR 1.1-2.0). Sex was the only factor significantly associated with food choice motives: boys rated sports performance higher (3.7, IQR 3.0-3.8) than girls (3.3, IQR 2.5-3.7; p = 0.007). In contrast, girls prioritized sensory appeal (3.0, IQR 2.4-3.3) more than boys (2.3, IQR 2.0-2.8; p < 0.001). Regarding dietary practices, 75.9% of respondents reported regular use of vitamin/mineral supplements and 54.2% used protein-enhanced foods or drinks. Athletes reported receiving nutrition information mainly from parents (77.1%), internet/social media (56.6%), and coaches (55.4%), whereas only 26.5% had received recommendations from a nutritionist or doctor.
CONCLUSION:
Youth athletes' food choices are primarily driven by sports performance and health motives. Despite widespread supplement use among Latvian youth athletes, relatively few reported receiving nutritional recommendations from a nutritionist or doctor, indicating a discrepancy between practices and professional guidance.

References:
1. Steptoe, A., Pollard, T. M., & Wardle, J. (1995). Development of a Measure of the Motives Underlying the Selection of Food: the Food Choice Questionnaire. Appetite, 25(3), 267–284.
2. Thurecht, R. L., & Pelly, F. E. (2019). Development of a New Tool for Managing Performance Nutrition: The Athlete Food Choice Questionnaire. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab, 29(6), 620–627.