NUTRITION KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICES OF PHYSICIANS IN A FAMILY-PRACTICE RESIDENCY PROGRAM - THE EFFECT OF AN EDUCATION-PROGRAM PROVIDED BY A PHYSICIAN NUTRITION SPECIALIST

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of a nutrition- education program provided by a physician nutrition specialist in a fa mily-practice residency program on residents' and faculty members' nut rition knowledge and nutrition-related patient care, their patients' p erceptions of the importance of nutrition, and the physicians' dietary patterns. The nutrition specialist provided recommendations for nutri tion patient-care practices to the physicians for 6 mo. Pre- and post- intervention assessments included 1) nutrition exams for physicians an d patients, 2) patient questionnaires concerning attitudes towards nut rition, 3) chart reviews, and 4) diet records for physicians. The educ ational intervention caused a small but statistically significant (P < 0.01) increase in physicians' nutrition-knowledge scores and a signif icantly higher (P < 0.05) frequency of physicians discussing nutrition and recommending diets for their patients. Effects were greater among residents than among faculty members. The results suggest that a phys ician nutrition specialist can provide effective nutrition education w ithin a residency program.