International Journal of Nutrition and Food Sciences

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Identifying Physicians’ and Nurses’ Nutrition Knowledge Using Validated Instruments: A Systematic Narrative Review

Received: 10 March 2020    Accepted: 26 March 2020    Published: 13 April 2020
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Abstract

Physicians and nurses, who are knowledgeable in nutrition, improve patients’ health outcomes. However, limited information is provided about the areas of nutrition they are knowledgeable in. This review sought to identify physicians’ and nurses’ nutrition knowledge through validated instruments. A systematic narrative review of the literature was conducted. Three databases - PubMed Central, Science Direct and Embase databases were searched from 1990 until December 2019. Retrieved studies were screened through a predetermined inclusion criterion and data extraction of included studies occurred. Quality assessment and risk of bias of included articles was completed. Thirty-three articles met the inclusion criteria. Instruments to identify nutrition knowledge varied among each study. Mean percentages of nutrition knowledge were between 32.5% correct to 72% correct. Nutrition knowledge was highest in the areas of nutrients’ roles, and food sources/macronutrients, whereas knowledge was lowest in the area of providing medical nutrition therapy. In general, physicians and nurses who were older, considered a specialist, held an advanced degree and/or had more years of practice had higher nutrition knowledge scores. Overall, literature about physicians’ and nurses’ nutrition knowledge is heterogeneous and scant as well as the instruments used to measure this knowledge. Within these limits, nutrition knowledge may be improved in certain areas.

DOI 10.11648/j.ijnfs.20200902.12
Published in International Journal of Nutrition and Food Sciences (Volume 9, Issue 2, March 2020)
Page(s) 43-53
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Nutrition Knowledge, Validated Instruments, Physicians, Nurses

References
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  • APA Style

    Jamie Zeldman, Jeanette Mary Andrade. (2020). Identifying Physicians’ and Nurses’ Nutrition Knowledge Using Validated Instruments: A Systematic Narrative Review. International Journal of Nutrition and Food Sciences, 9(2), 43-53. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijnfs.20200902.12

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    ACS Style

    Jamie Zeldman; Jeanette Mary Andrade. Identifying Physicians’ and Nurses’ Nutrition Knowledge Using Validated Instruments: A Systematic Narrative Review. Int. J. Nutr. Food Sci. 2020, 9(2), 43-53. doi: 10.11648/j.ijnfs.20200902.12

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    AMA Style

    Jamie Zeldman, Jeanette Mary Andrade. Identifying Physicians’ and Nurses’ Nutrition Knowledge Using Validated Instruments: A Systematic Narrative Review. Int J Nutr Food Sci. 2020;9(2):43-53. doi: 10.11648/j.ijnfs.20200902.12

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ijnfs.20200902.12,
      author = {Jamie Zeldman and Jeanette Mary Andrade},
      title = {Identifying Physicians’ and Nurses’ Nutrition Knowledge Using Validated Instruments: A Systematic Narrative Review},
      journal = {International Journal of Nutrition and Food Sciences},
      volume = {9},
      number = {2},
      pages = {43-53},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ijnfs.20200902.12},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijnfs.20200902.12},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijnfs.20200902.12},
      abstract = {Physicians and nurses, who are knowledgeable in nutrition, improve patients’ health outcomes. However, limited information is provided about the areas of nutrition they are knowledgeable in. This review sought to identify physicians’ and nurses’ nutrition knowledge through validated instruments. A systematic narrative review of the literature was conducted. Three databases - PubMed Central, Science Direct and Embase databases were searched from 1990 until December 2019. Retrieved studies were screened through a predetermined inclusion criterion and data extraction of included studies occurred. Quality assessment and risk of bias of included articles was completed. Thirty-three articles met the inclusion criteria. Instruments to identify nutrition knowledge varied among each study. Mean percentages of nutrition knowledge were between 32.5% correct to 72% correct. Nutrition knowledge was highest in the areas of nutrients’ roles, and food sources/macronutrients, whereas knowledge was lowest in the area of providing medical nutrition therapy. In general, physicians and nurses who were older, considered a specialist, held an advanced degree and/or had more years of practice had higher nutrition knowledge scores. Overall, literature about physicians’ and nurses’ nutrition knowledge is heterogeneous and scant as well as the instruments used to measure this knowledge. Within these limits, nutrition knowledge may be improved in certain areas.},
     year = {2020}
    }
    

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    AU  - Jamie Zeldman
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    DO  - 10.11648/j.ijnfs.20200902.12
    T2  - International Journal of Nutrition and Food Sciences
    JF  - International Journal of Nutrition and Food Sciences
    JO  - International Journal of Nutrition and Food Sciences
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    AB  - Physicians and nurses, who are knowledgeable in nutrition, improve patients’ health outcomes. However, limited information is provided about the areas of nutrition they are knowledgeable in. This review sought to identify physicians’ and nurses’ nutrition knowledge through validated instruments. A systematic narrative review of the literature was conducted. Three databases - PubMed Central, Science Direct and Embase databases were searched from 1990 until December 2019. Retrieved studies were screened through a predetermined inclusion criterion and data extraction of included studies occurred. Quality assessment and risk of bias of included articles was completed. Thirty-three articles met the inclusion criteria. Instruments to identify nutrition knowledge varied among each study. Mean percentages of nutrition knowledge were between 32.5% correct to 72% correct. Nutrition knowledge was highest in the areas of nutrients’ roles, and food sources/macronutrients, whereas knowledge was lowest in the area of providing medical nutrition therapy. In general, physicians and nurses who were older, considered a specialist, held an advanced degree and/or had more years of practice had higher nutrition knowledge scores. Overall, literature about physicians’ and nurses’ nutrition knowledge is heterogeneous and scant as well as the instruments used to measure this knowledge. Within these limits, nutrition knowledge may be improved in certain areas.
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Author Information
  • Food Science and Human Nutrition Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, USA

  • Food Science and Human Nutrition Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, USA

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