How Medical Students’ Behaviors and Attitudes affect the Impact of a Brief Curriculum on Nutrition Counseling

Abstract Objective To evaluate a nutrition curriculum and explore the influence of medical students’ own nutrition practices on its impact. Methods An anonymous survey was given to first-year medical students attending a required course immediately prior to and 2 weeks after a 2-hour interactive nut...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of nutrition education and behavior 2012-11, Vol.44 (6), p.653-657
Main Authors: Schlair, Sheira, MD, MS, Hanley, Kathleen, MD, Gillespie, Colleen, PhD, Disney, Lindsey, BA, Kalet, Adina, MD, MPH, Darby, Pamella C., MPH, RD, Frank, Erica, MD, MPH, Spencer, Elsa, PhD, Harris, Jeff, BA, Jay, Melanie, MD, MS
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Attitude to Health
Confidence
Counseling
Curriculum
Dietetics
Education, Medical, Undergraduate
Female
Gastroenterology and Hepatology
Health Behavior
Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
Humans
Internal Medicine
Knowledge Level
Likert scale
Likert Scales
Male
medical education
Medical Students
New York
Nutrition
Nutrition Assessment
Nutrition education
Nutrition Instruction
nutritional assessment
Nutritional Sciences - education
nutritional surveys
Required Courses
Self Esteem
Student Attitudes
Student Behavior
Student Surveys
Students
Students, Medical - psychology
Young Adult
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Summary:Abstract Objective To evaluate a nutrition curriculum and explore the influence of medical students’ own nutrition practices on its impact. Methods An anonymous survey was given to first-year medical students attending a required course immediately prior to and 2 weeks after a 2-hour interactive nutrition curriculum intervention in a large private urban medical school in New York, New York. Main outcomes included self-reported nutrition counseling confidence, ability to assess diet, and nutrition knowledge measured using 4-point Likert scales. Results One hundred eleven students completed surveys pre-curriculum (69%) and 121 completed them post-curriculum (75%). The authors found overall pre-post differences in dietary assessment ability (2.65 vs 3.05, P < .001) and counseling confidence (1.86 vs 2.22, P < .001). In addition to the curricular impact, students’ nutrition-related behaviors and attitudes were positively associated with outcomes. Conclusions and Implications A nutrition curriculum for medical students improves students’ nutrition counseling-related confidence, knowledge, and skills even when controlling for personal nutrition-related behaviors.
ISSN:1499-4046
1878-2620
1708-8259
DOI:10.1016/j.jneb.2011.08.006