Analysis of Nutritional Knowledge Among Folk Dancers

This study seeks to assess the nutritional knowledge levels of folk dancers residing across Türkiye. The study was structured according to the quantitative research paradigm, with data collection occurring from April to June 2021. The research participants comprise 765 folk dancers aged 17 and older, each with a minimum of 3 years of experience in the folk dance sector. The "Nutrition Knowledge Level Scale in Adult Individuals" (YETBİD) served as the data collection instrument in the study. The SPSS 22 software was utilized for data analysis, employing an independent samples T-Test for the evaluation. The analysis revealed no significant difference in the “basic nutrition and nutritional-health knowledge" scores of participants based on gender. Nevertheless, women's "Food preference" scores were higher than those of men. Moreover, the “basic nutrition and nutritionalhealth knowledge” scores of participants who engage in folk dances are significantly higher than those who do not participate actively in folk dances. The current research indicates that food preference scores are higher among women than men, smokers than non-smokers, and non-dieters than dieters. Conversely, participants who actively engage in folk dancing exhibit higher basic nutrition and nutritional-health knowledge scores compared to those who do not participate in folk dancing.