How does children’s sport participation influence healthy eating?

Sport is a powerful setting in which to foster social change. RMIT’s Consumer Wellbeing Research Group, in conjunction with Football Victoria, recently undertook the following project funded by VicHealth: Game Ready: Exploring Food Choices and Consumption Practices in the Context of Community Sport.

The research adopted a practice theory approach, which enables health researchers to move beyond the limitations of traditional behavioural research that focuses on the individual and to examine the social context of the behaviour of interest. Research methods included a literature review, in situ observations at community football venues, interviews with parents followed by a survey and focus groups with club committee members.

The findings reveal that the family’s food practices are significantly shaped by the additional time constraints imposed by sporting commitments. Parents develop a routinized practice of eating which suits the rhythm of busy schedules, yet the temporal cycles of children’s sport commitments can disrupt the family’s existing food-related practices including meal and snack selection, food preparation, meal timing, where food is consumed and the collective consumption of meals.

These practices are negatively impacted in four ways: 1) time pressure leading to the compression of food preparation practices (using pre-prepared meals, packaged ingredients or takeaway); 2) shifting meanings and competences around food, from ‘healthy’ to ‘food as fuel’, relying on carbs and protein to sustain physical activity; 3) adopting game day rituals involving confectionery or unhealthy foods and a relaxation of food rules; and, 4) lack of availability of healthy food items at sport venues combined with ‘pester power’ and peer influence leading to unhealthy consumption. The latter disruption occurs primarily in the context of weekend competitions. Venue canteens, which are both a social hub for players and families and a profit centre for the club, rely on convenient, mostly unhealthy food to maximize sales avoid costly wastage.

The findings suggest a number of interventions points at which sport families can be supported in providing healthier food choices.

For more information on the project, please contact Professor Kate Westberg: kate.westberg@rmit.edu.au