The Food Environment of Youth Baseball

Abstract

Background: Sports, such as youth baseball (YB), are popular outlets for increasing activity, yet there has been no investigation of food environments surrounding them. The aim of this study was to observe the types of foods available and consumed by players and spectators at YB events.Methods: This was an observational assessment, by environmental scan, of foods consumed by players and family members at a YB field in northwest North Carolina.Results: Participants included boys from six YB teams (n = 51) between 8 and 11 years of age and families. A total of 12 YB games were observed. Most team snacks (72%) consisted of high-calorie food items, including French fries, candy, and cookies; most beverages (53%) consumed by players were sugar sweetened. We observed 313 spectators and players, who consumed a total of 249 foods and 276 beverages. Most food and beverage items (89%) were purchased from the concession stand, of which 73% were considered less-healthy options.Conclusions: High-calorie snacks and sugar-sweetened beverages dominate the YB environment. Despite the benefits of participating in sports, families of children participating in sports leagues may be increasing their risk for poor nutritional habits as a result of increased exposure to unhealthy foods and disruption of meal times.

Eat, play, live: a randomized controlled trial within a natural experiment examining the role of nutrition policy and capacity building in improving food environments in recreation and sport facilities

“…It is therefore concerning that the majority of recreation and sport facilities had unhealthy food environments regardless of the presence of voluntary nutrition guidelines. This is consistent with our previous findings in recreation facilities in Canada [1, 2, 4, 16], and with studies internationally in a variety of sports settings [40, 55–59]. As identified in a recent systematic review, there is almost no knowledge of how to improve policy implementation in sports settings, with just three controlled studies meeting inclusion criteria [60].…”

Objectively-Measured Physical Activity and Sedentary Time are Differentially Related to Dietary Fat and Carbohydrate Intake in Children

“…Children may consume a greater proportion of energy intake from carbohydrates such as granola bars, sweetened cereals, pastry, candy, pretzels, bread, and sports drinks before, during, or after organized sports and at activity-based classes/lessons (e.g., karate, dance). This may be because these foods dominate the concessions sold at these events, are often given out as postgame treats, and serve a substitute for regular meals that are disrupted due to sports games and practices ( 39 – 41 ). In fact, a growing body of evidence suggests that youth sports may expose children to an unhealthy food environment ( 42 , 43 ).…”

Team Snacks in Youth Basketball: Which Factors Influence Parent Selection

“…A study in a North Carolina youth baseball league observed 12 team snacks in six youth baseball teams. The results showed that most (72%) snacks included high‐calorie items such as French fries, candy, and cookies, and about half (53%) of the beverages consumed by players were sugar‐sweetened (Irby, Drury‐Brown, & Skelton, ; Thomas, Nelson, Harwood, & Neumark‐Sztainer, ). A qualitative study conducted among parents in two Minnesota youth basketball programs (one serving primarily African American families of low to middle socioeconomic status and another serving primarily white families of middle to high socioeconomic status) found parents to be aware of unhealthful foods and beverages consumed in the youth sport context (Thomas et al, ).…”