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e‑ISSN 2148-905X Open Access · CC BY 4.0
Vol. 13 · Issue 3 · 2026 Sep 15, 2026 Research Article

Investigation of the Relationship Between Competitive State Anxiety Levels and Nutritional Attitudes in Karate Athletes

ES
Ezgi Samar Corresponding Artvin Çoruh University, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Artvin, Türkiye ezgi@artvin.edu.tr Turkey
MA
Maide Elif Alpay Artvin Çoruh University, Institute of Graduate Education, Artvin, Türkiye, Turkey
NA
Nurbanu Avci Erdem Artvin Çoruh Üniversitesi, Institute of Graduate Education, Artvin, Türkiye, Turkey
Pages392-403 PublishedSep 15, 2026 LicenseOpen Access
PDF (Türkçe)
VOL 13 · ISS 3 · 2026 Sportive Perspective: Journal of Sports and Educational Sciences View issue

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between nutritional attitudes and the cognitive anxiety, somatic anxiety, and self-confidence dimensions of competitive state anxiety in karate athletes and whether these variables differed across selected demographic characteristics. The correlational study included 355 volunteer licensed amateur and professional karate athletes, comprising 190 women (53.5%) and 165 men (46.5%). Data were collected using a Personal Information Form, the Nutrition Attitude Scale, and the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2. Independent-samples t tests, one-way analyses of variance (ANOVA), Scheffé post hoc tests, Pearson correlations, and simple linear regression analyses were conducted. Female athletes had higher nutritional attitude scores than male athletes, whereas competitive anxiety dimensions did not differ by sex. Cognitive anxiety, somatic anxiety, self-confidence, and nutritional attitude differed across karate styles. Across BMI categories, significant differences were found for cognitive anxiety, self-confidence, and nutritional attitude, but not somatic anxiety. Nutritional attitude was negatively associated with cognitive and somatic anxiety and positively associated with self-confidence; it explained 10%, 7%, and 8% of the variance in these outcomes, respectively. More positive nutritional attitudes were therefore associated with lower competitive anxiety and higher self-confidence. Because the study was cross-sectional and correlational, these findings should not be interpreted causally.

Keywords

#Competitive state anxiety #karate #nutritional attitude

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