Deslippe Alysha L, Middleton Georgia, Wu Olivia Y, Bergeron Coralie, Cohen Tamara R
Human Nutrition, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Healthy Starts, British Columbia Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Front Nutr. 2024 Dec 19;11:1524135. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2024.1524135. eCollection 2024.
Not all adolescents have positive sport experiences. Research has repeatedly identified ties between unfavorable eating patterns and food beliefs (i.e., a dietary identity) that hinder an athletes' health and performance. Gender norms and pressures over idealized bodies (e.g., boys are muscular whereas girls are thin) play a critical role in the manifestation of unfavorable eating habits. However, most research has focused on the experiences of athlete girls in elite sport spaces (e.g., high performance), leaving gaps in our understanding of how diverse youth in high school spaces are impacted. To address this gap, we aimed to explore the intersections between adolescents' sport, dietary and gender identities in high school. We conducted 33 interviews with high school athletes ( = 9 girls and = 9 boys) and non-athletes ( = 4 non-binary, = 6 boys and = 5 girls) using methods informed by an interpretative phenomenological approach. We generated three themes capturing adolescents' experiences: (1) (2) and (3) Athletes recognized ties between masculinity and sport, but spoke about traditionally masculine eating habits (e.g., valuing protein) and body ideals (e.g., being muscular) as part of their athletic identity, not gender. Regardless of sport involvement, adolescents altered their outward expression of their dietary habits to demonstrate pieces of their identities, like being an athlete (e.g., eating protein) or feminine (e.g., smaller bites). Adolescents also spoke about using food to pursue idealized bodies that show deviation from traditional gender norms. Finally, adolescents held conflicting views about masculinity as being both toxic and useful for competition. By understanding identity intersections, coaches, trainers, parents, and sport decisions-makers can make more informed decisions about sport policy, programs, and practice that involve dietary advice to support this population.
并非所有青少年都有积极的运动体验。研究反复发现，不良的饮食模式和饮食观念（即饮食身份认同）之间存在关联，这会妨碍运动员的健康和表现。性别规范以及对理想体型的压力（例如，男孩要强壮，女孩要苗条）在不良饮食习惯的形成中起着关键作用。然而，大多数研究都集中在精英运动领域（如高水平运动）中女运动员的经历上，这使得我们对高中阶段不同青少年所受影响的理解存在空白。为了填补这一空白，我们旨在探讨青少年在高中阶段的运动、饮食和性别身份认同之间的交叉关系。我们采用解释现象学方法进行了33次访谈，对象包括高中运动员（9名女生和9名男生）和非运动员（4名非二元性别者、6名男生和5名女生）。我们总结出三个主题来描述青少年的经历：（1）（2）和（3）运动员认识到男子气概与运动之间的联系，但将传统的男性饮食习惯（如重视蛋白质）和身体理想状态（如强壮）视为其运动身份的一部分，而非性别特征。无论是否参与运动，青少年都会改变其饮食习惯的外在表现，以展示他们身份的某些方面，比如作为运动员（如食用蛋白质）或具有女性特质（如小口进食）。青少年还谈到用食物来追求偏离传统性别规范的理想体型。最后，青少年对男子气概在竞争中既有害又有用持有相互矛盾的观点。通过了解身份认同的交叉关系，教练、训练师、家长和体育决策者可以在涉及饮食建议以支持这一群体的体育政策、项目和实践方面做出更明智的决策。
