Nutritional Knowledge and Self-Reported Nutritional Practice against Malnutrition among Physicians in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Clinical Nutrition Department, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 80215, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
Healthcare 2019, 7(4), 149; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare7040149
Received: 24 September 2019
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Revised: 14 November 2019
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Accepted: 15 November 2019
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Published: 19 November 2019
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Patient and Staff Experience: An Exploration of Factors Contributing to Quality, Safety and Sound Governance)
The new era of healthcare emphasizes the integration of nutritional care into healthcare management to improve patient outcomes. Previous studies indicated that nutritional knowledge among physicians is insufficient. Thus far, only a limited number of studies have assessed nutritional knowledge among Saudi physicians, without providing data regarding their views toward practice against malnutrition. Therefore, the aim of the present cross-sectional study was to address this knowledge gap among Saudi physicians in the hospitals of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. A total of 117 physicians were recruited using a questionnaire to collect physician characteristics, nutritional knowledge, and knowledge and practice related to malnutrition. The mean nutritional knowledge scores were low (50%; SD: 24%). Saudi physicians scored high in questions related to the medical field; however, their knowledge related to nutrition topics was poor. The majority of Saudi physicians agreed that the nutritional management of malnourished patients was difficult at screening (79%), assessment (78%), and treatment (78%) stages. The self-assessed knowledge and interest of physicians toward malnutrition was modest, and they found the malnutrition management to be only moderately relevant to their work. Nutritional knowledge and practice against malnutrition among Saudi physicians is insufficient. Saudi physicians require proper education and training in nutrition.
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Keywords:
nutrition; knowledge; physicians; malnutrition
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MDPI and ACS Style
Alkhaldy, A.A. Nutritional Knowledge and Self-Reported Nutritional Practice against Malnutrition among Physicians in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Healthcare 2019, 7, 149. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare7040149
AMA Style
Alkhaldy AA. Nutritional Knowledge and Self-Reported Nutritional Practice against Malnutrition among Physicians in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Healthcare. 2019; 7(4):149. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare7040149
Chicago/Turabian StyleAlkhaldy, Areej A. 2019. "Nutritional Knowledge and Self-Reported Nutritional Practice against Malnutrition among Physicians in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia" Healthcare 7, no. 4: 149. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare7040149
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