Legume promotion in counselling: an e-mail survey of dietitians.
Little is known about dietitians current practice in counselling clients about the use of legumes in a low fat, high fibre diet. An exploratory e-mail questionnaire was sent to members of Dietitians of Canada to assess: dietitian use and preferences for legumes, dietitian practice, opinions about clients attitudes and preferences, and resource needs. Counsellors (n=256) had high personal use of legumes (64% > or = 1 serving/week) and frequently recommended legumes in counselling. The legumes most preferred by respondents and their clients were: peanuts, kidney beans, split peas, chickpeas, and lentils. Respondents often recommended canned bean products (76%) and tofu (61%), but other legume grocery products were less often recommended. The most common client issues identified were: flatulence (87% agreed), lack of familiarity (85%), and knowledge of preparation (82%). Dietitians were not satisfied with current resources to support practice, especially those respondents providing primarily clinical counselling services. The most requested resources were: recipes (90%), pamphlets (82%), food demonstrations (75%) and Internet sites (63%). Client level research is now needed to confirm the importance of the issues identified and to develop and test strategies for legume promotion in counselling.
Desrochers
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N
Department of Family Relations and Applied Nutrition, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON.
Brauer
P M
PM
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002170:Canada; D003195:Computer Communication Networks; D003376:Counseling; D003625:Data Collection; D018752:Diet, Fat-Restricted; D004043:Dietary Fiber / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004046:Dietetics / Q000193:education* / Q000592:standards; D007887:Fabaceae / Q000009:adverse effects; D005518:Food Preferences; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires