Nutrition knowledge, attitude and practice among
primary care physicians in Taiwan.
胡雪萍;劉珍芳;劉珍芳
Hu SP;Wu MY and Liu JF
Abstract
A questionnaire completed by 331 primary health care physicians in Taiwan revealed deficiencies in nutrition-related knowledge, attitudes, and practices. Questionnaires were sent to all 1210 physicians on the mailing list of the National Health Administration; the response rate was 27%. Physicians answered 59% of the 26 knowledge-related questions correctly. The highest proportion of correct responses was obtained for questions related to nutrient functions and nutrition during pregnancy (both 70.6%), while the lowest was recorded for the item concerning nutritional assessment (42%). Overall, physicians considered nutrition to be important in their personal and clinical practice. However, only 78% expressed agreement with the statement that nutrition consultation should be a part of health care. Nutrition knowledge was higher among female physicians, those under 35 years of age, and non-smokers. Finally, there was a significant correlation between nutrition knowledge and attitudes. Although this study is limited by the poor response rate, the results indicate a need for improvements in the basic nutritional knowledge and practices of primary care physicians in Taiwan.