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Sport nutrition consultants' physical characteristics influence potential clients' preference to work with them and perceptions of their effectiveness
Abstract   Peer reviewed

Sport nutrition consultants' physical characteristics influence potential clients' preference to work with them and perceptions of their effectiveness

J K Parker and Geoff Lovell
Book of Abstracts of the 13th Annual Congress of the European College of Sport Science, pp.429-429
Annual Congress of the European College of Sport Science (ECSS): Sport Science by the Sea, 13th (Estoril, Portugal, 09-Jul-2008–12-Jul-2008)
2008
url
http://www.ecss-congress.eu/View
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Abstract

Psychology Human Movement and Sports Science Nutrition and Dietetics sports nutrition nutritionists athletes
There are many factors that contribute to the effectiveness of a sport nutrition consultant (SNC). Although each context presents different challenges to the SNC, the first barrier is often gaining entry. As Lubker and his colleagues point out, the world of performance sport is a fraternal system where entry is not automatically open to all (Lubker et al., 2005). Despite research in other sports science disciplines demonstrating that practioner's physical characteristics do influence clients' perceptions of their effectiveness which potentially mediate the efficacy of subsequent interventions, e.g., psychology (Lubker et al., 2005), little attention has been directed towards SNC's. Therefore, the purpose of this investigation was to identify if physical characteristics of SNC's, specifically body mass index (BMI) and type of dress, influences potential clients' preference to work with them and perceptions of their potential effectiveness. Furthermore, if these perceptions are effected by the potential clients' sex or standard of competition. One hundred volunteers (age mean=18.68, SD=0.82 years) all participating in regular competitive sport, classified by sex (male, n=55, or female, n=45) and competitive standard (elite / sub-elite, n=68, or club / recreational, n=32) viewed slides representing four concurrently presented computer generated images of the same female SNC. These slides represented the SNC dressed in sports attire manipulated to represent a range of BMI's (23, 28, 33, and 38 kg/m2) typifying four World Health Organisation classifications of obesity (normal, pre-obese, obese class I, and obese class II), and in formal attire again representing the same four BMI's. Participants were asked to rank the SNCs in order of their preference to work with them, and secondly, to rate their perceived effectiveness of each of the SNCs on a 7 point Likert scale. Results of the sex by competitive standard by BMI by dress MANOVA demonstrated a significant BMI main effect F(6,91)=287.28, p<0.001 (effect size 0.95) with participants' ranking of preference and rating of perceived effectiveness of SNC decreasing with increasing BMI. Other significant MANOVA results, although with weak effect sizes, were BMI by dress and BMI by competitive standard interactions. No sex main effects or interactions were evident. In conclusion, SNC's physical characteristics do influence potential clients' preference to work with them and perceptions of their effectiveness. Implications of these findings include that SNCs should consider their physical appearance when meeting with sports performers. This relationship is likely to be complex, including factors such as expected social etiquette and physique associated with the client's sport, justifying further research. [Poster Presentation]

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