Framework, Application, and Need for Tailored Fit Nutrition Curriculum Programs for High School Female Athlete

High school female athletes do not have adequate knowledge of their unique nutritional needs and are predisposed to nutritionally related health risks more so than their male or non-athlete peers. These health risks can manifest from the psychological and social pressures related to female athletics. Nutrition education is an effective prevention strategy to mitigate unhealthy eating habits and long-term health issues.;High school female athletes need appropriate and adequate nutrition to sustain the energy demands of their sport along with their physiologic demands of growth. Nutrition is a critical component to the overall health and well-being of an athlete but certainly not the only component. Nutrition should be considered as a foundational element in the health and well-being of an athlete. Proper and adequate nutrition may stave off serious and complicated physiological and psychological health consequences.;The purpose of this study was to identify consensus from 33 qualified key opinion leaders in the United States for best practices and tenets of a tailored nutrition education program specifically designed for high school female athletes. The study employed a traditional qualitative Delphi method with minor modifications. The cohort of qualified key opinion leaders reached statistical consensus on themes that indicated overall need for tailored nutrition curriculum for high school female athletes.;Consensus themes from this study also indicated the current lack of nutrition curriculum programs for high school female athletes in the United States. Consensus themes further indicated the need for athletic support personnel (i.e., coaches) to be educated on the unique nutrition needs of high school female athletes with recommendations to implement continuing education for coaching staff and teachers directly involved with high school female athletes. The cohort of key opinion experts also identified potential barriers (i.e., funding, prioritization) as reasons for the lack of current preventive curriculum programs. The consensus themes that emerged from this study can be learned from for future curriculum development for future research.