The Effectiveness of Audiovisual-Based Education on Balanced Nutrition Knowledge and Hydration Management Among Youth Soccer Athletes

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FORMOSA NEWS - Malang - Audiovisual Education Boosts Nutrition and Hydration Knowledge in Youth Soccer Ecosystem. Young athletes require precise nutritional balance and proper hydration strategies to maintain peak physical condition and support healthy bodily growth. However, chronic fluid deficits and unaddressed dietary imbalances frequently compromise performance and long-term health in youth sports academies. To address these challenges, researchers at Universitas Negeri Malang in Indonesia conducted a study published in July 2026 demonstrating that audiovisual-based educational programs significantly enhance nutrition and hydration knowledge across the entire youth athletic support system, including players, parents, and coaches. Safirah Afah Enzeli, Moch. Yunus, Nanang Tri Wahyudi, and Moh. Abduh Malik from the Faculty of Medicine at Universitas Negeri Malang designed an interactive educational intervention for the Batu Football Academy (BAFA). The team targeted not only adolescent soccer players but also the primary decision-makers in their lives: their parents and team coaches. The findings highlight how comprehensive, visual-based education can break cycles of improper nutrition and voluntary dehydration in youth sports.

The Hidden Challenge in Youth Athletic Nutrition
In youth sports ecosystems, athletic success depends heavily on proper energy intake, balanced macronutrients, and consistent fluid regulation. Despite the known benefits of proper fueling, adolescent athletes around the world regularly encounter severe nutrition and hydration issues. Pre-training hypohydration affects 60% to 80% of youth soccer academy players globally, often because athletes fail to drink sufficient water despite its availability. When body fluid deficits exceed 2% of total body weight, athletes face heightened cardiovascular stress, accelerated muscle fatigue, and impaired decision-making on the field. Furthermore, dietary habits at home often deviate sharply from athletic needs. An initial assessment at the Batu Football Academy revealed critical health and dietary issues:

• Nutritional Status Disparities: Approximately 10% of young academy athletes were underweight, while 3% were classified as overweight.
  
• Clinical Health Markers: Assessments revealed that 16.67% of players showed signs of anemia, while 83.33% exhibited indications of hyperuricemia.
  
• Severe Dietary Imbalances: While 20% of athletes suffered from an energy deficit and 30% consumed excess calories, 87% consumed excessive protein—reaching 186% of recommended daily levels.
  
• Dehydration and Beverage Choices: Chronic fluid deficits were widespread, driven by improper field rehydration practices and frequent consumption of sugar-sweetened packaged drinks.
  

A Tri-Centric Educational Strategy
To solve these persistent challenges, the researchers from Universitas Negeri Malang utilized a Tri-Centric Intervention model. Recognizing that an adolescent athlete's habits are guided by parents who prepare meals at home and coaches who regulate water breaks on the field, the research team designed an educational model serving all three groups simultaneously. The study involved 54 participants at the Batu Football Academy facility, comprising 25 youth athletes, 24 parents, and 5 academy coaches. Over a structured 100-minute session, participants completed a baseline knowledge questionnaire, engaged with interactive presentation slides, watched targeted educational video screeners, and completed a post-intervention evaluation. The core curriculum covered the four pillars of balanced nutrition, fluid physiology, and proper rehydration timing.

Statistical Proof of Knowledge Retention
The quantitative results confirmed that dynamic audiovisual media offers an exceptionally effective channel for sports nutrition instruction. Data evaluated using paired t-tests demonstrated significant knowledge improvements across all three target groups post-intervention ($p < 0.001$):

• Youth Athletes (n = 25): Average knowledge scores rose from 56.67 to 75.24 points, representing an 18.57-point gain.
  
• Parents (n = 24): Average knowledge scores increased from 62.50 to 84.10 points, representing a 21.60-point gain.
  
• Coaches (n = 5): Average knowledge scores surged from 68.00 to 92.00 points, representing a 24.00-point gain.
  

By simultaneously stimulating visual and auditory sensory pathways, dynamic video materials allowed participants to grasp complex concepts such as water metabolism, muscle recovery, and hydration management far more effectively than traditional text-only lectures.

Real-World Impact on Youth Sports Organizations

The study underscores that educating athletes in isolation is insufficient for long-term behavioral change. Equipping parents with kitchen management skills helps eliminate excessive protein consumption and cuts down on sugar-laden drinks. Simultaneously, training coaches to schedule systematic water breaks prevents voluntary dehydration during intensive training sessions.

Author Profiles
Safirah Afah Enzeli is a researcher at the Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Negeri Malang, focusing on sports nutrition, youth exercise science, and community health interventions.
Moch. Yunus is an academic at Universitas Negeri Malang specializing in human physiology, physical education, and athletic performance analysis.
Nanang Tri Wahyudi is a medical and sports nutrition expert at Universitas Negeri Malang with extensive experience in athletic health management.
Moh. Abduh Malik is a researcher at Universitas Negeri Malang dedicated to sports performance optimization and health education methodologies.

Source
Safirah Afah Enzeli, Moch. Yunus, Nanang Tri Wahyudi, Moh. Abduh Malik. The Effectiveness of Audiovisual-Based Education on Balanced Nutrition Knowledge and Hydration Management Among Youth Soccer Athletes. Asian Journal of Community Services (AJCS). Vol. 5, No. 7, hlm. 493–500.

DOI : https://doi.org/10.55927/ajcs.v5i7.47
URL: https://journalajcs.my.id/index.php/ajcs