Youth Athlete Nutrition Study
“Fuelling effective knowledge and perceptions of nutrition in the youth athlete: supporting development and performance”
Phd Researcher: Katie Bonnar
Director of Studies: Dr Sinead Roberts
Supervisory Team: Dr Claire Robertson, Dr Alison Fixsen, Dr Samuel Impey
overview
The purpose of this phase of the study is to collect information from youth athletes, their parents/guardians and coaches about sports nutrition support in the UK.
This will be combined with other information to create the next stage of the project: an educational framework aimed at supporting young athletes, their parents/guardians, and their coaches.
Your participation will help shape what could be possible for youth athlete nutrition support in the UK.
Cycling Coaches
survey
If you are a British Cycling accredited coach, based in the UK, who works with youth cyclists, I would love to learn more about you through an anonymous survey. You can find the survey and further information at this link.
focus groups
We will be hosting focus groups for cycling coaches across the UK in Autumn 2024/Winter 2025. If you would like to register your interest to participate in one of these groups, either in-person or online, please email me, Katie, at k.bonnar@westminster.ac.uk to be placed on the priority list.
help me recruit
If you work with youth cyclists and Go-Ride clubs, I would be grateful if you would let them know about my research!
I am recruiting youth cyclists (12 to 18 years old) and their parents to participate in other elements of my research such as surveys, interviews, focus groups, and observational studies. Any youth cyclist or parent/guardian of a youth cyclist based in the UK is eligible.
For safeguarding reasons, I can only recruit youth participants through their parents/guardians; I cannot have direct contact with the children for the purpose of recruitment.
Any help you can provide in reaching those parents/guardians is gratefully received. If you would like to help me with recruitment, you can complete the gatekeeper form here and I will provide you with the necessary materials to distribute the study information.
If you like to help me arrange a meeting to speak directly with the parents/guardians at your club where I can share all of the research elements, answer any questions they may have, and ensure your members’ views are represented in my research. Please email me to arrange a date: k.bonnar@westminster.ac.uk
Parents of youth cyclists
interviews
If you are the parent/guardian of a youth cyclist aged 12 to 18, based in the UK, I would like to interview you to get your views on nutrition in cycling. Interviews are one-to-one, lasting between 60 and 90 minutes and will help define what support we develop for parents/guardians of youth athletes in the UK.
If you would like to receive the information sheet, discuss participating in an interview, or book a time to meet, please email k.bonnar@westminster.ac.uk or fill in this form here. If you are ready to book an interview slot, you may do so via this booking link.
Interviews aim to close 31 December 2024.
youth athlete survey
I have an anonymous survey for any youth athletes, aged 14 to 18 in the UK, to collect their views and experiences around food and sport. This survey is open to any competitive youth athlete in the UK, not just cyclists.
For safeguarding reasons, I can only recruit youth participants through their parents/guardian; survey links can only be sent to a parent/guardian email address. If you would like to receive information about your child participating in an anonymous survey, please fill in this form and I will provide you with the survey information.
help me recruit
I am also looking to recruit youth cyclists (12 to 18 years old) from across the UK to participate in other elements of my research such as interviews, focus groups, and observational studies.
If you would like to receive more information about what else you, your child, or their coach could participate in, please email me for further details. Alternatively, you can fill in the gatekeeper form to help me recruit more broadly in your networks.
If you know any other youth cycling coaches, Go-Ride clubs, or parents of youth cyclists, I would be grateful if you would let them know about my research!
If you would be willing to help me arrange a meeting to speak directly with the parents/guardians at your club, I can share all of the ways parents/guardians, coaches, and athletes can get involved, answer any questions they may have, and ensure your members’ views are represented in my research. Please email me to discuss a date: k.bonnar@westminster.ac.uk
Youth athletes/youth cyclists
Are you a competitive youth athlete in the UK? If you would like to take part in any element of this research and share your views on sports nutrition, please send your parent/guardian this website so they can learn more and to contact me directly.
Survey links, interview slots, focus groups, and other elements can only be provided to the parents/guardians, not directly to youth athletes. Parents must provide consent and youth participants must provide assent to participate in any aspect of this research.
Individuals who have been or are undergoing treatment for a serious mental health issue and/or eating disorder are not eligible for this study.
Phd Researcher: Katie Bonnar
I am a PhD researcher in Nutrition specialising in youth cyclists, their parents, and their coaches. I hold an MSc in Sports and Exercise Nutrition (Distinction) from the University of Westminster. I am a graduate registrant of the Sport and Exercise Nutrition Register (SENr), a registered associate nutritionist (ANutr) with the Association for Nutrition (AfN), a student member of the British Association of Sport and Exercise Scientists (BASES) and a long-time volunteer in the UK youth cycling community.
I live in Hackney, London where my primary club is Islington Cycling Club, for whom I held numerous positions over the years, including club secretary and youth programme coordinator. I am currently a member of the BC Eastern Regional Board, a National Councillor and a BC-accredited road cycling coach.
I am able to provide proof of a current DBS check, NSPCC safeguarding certificate, Youth Mental Health First Aid certificate, and several certifications for supporting youth at risk.
All elements of this research have been granted ethical approval by the University of Westminster.
Soggy school run
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frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Who should not take part in this study? (Applies to all participants)
Individuals who have been or are undergoing treatment for a serious mental health issue and/or eating disorder are not eligible for this study. Any young person for whom a parent/carer has concerns about these issues should also not be granted permission to participate in this research.
Are there any benefits to taking part? (Applies to all participants)
There are no individual benefits to you, however, their input will be used in further research, the aim of which is the development of an educational framework which can be used across sports to improve the nutrition education and support young athletes, their parents, and their coaches across the UK receive.
Who will have access to information about me/my child in this research? (Applies to all participants)
Confidentiality will be always maintained, except for in an instance where a participant discloses information that indicates that they are a risk to themselves or someone else. Only the researchers and Director of Studies for this project will have access to information provided.
How will this data be used? (Applies to all participants)
All data will be anonymised and the findings will be included in written documents, presentations, and other outputs related to the research project. The data collected during this phase of the research will inform the next phase, which is to be the creation of an education and behaviour change programme for youth athletes, their parents, and their coaches.
How will data be stored? (Applies to all participants)
All data will be held securely in accordance with the Data Protection Act (1998) on password-protected encrypted devices and anonymised with any physical data collection materials kept separately from any physical consent/assent forms. All files will be named with codes, not participant names.
I am a youth athlete and I want to take part - how does that work? (Applies to youth participants)
I would love to have you take part in this research! In order to do so, your parent/carer must provide their consent as you are under 18 years of age. Please have them fill in this form and I will explain how you can get involved in this research. For safeguarding reasons, I can only send research materials to your parent/carer, but once they’ve consented, I look forward to learning about your views on the topics being studied.