Health-care professionals' perceived trust in and willingness to recommend functional foods: a qualitative study.
The aim of this study was to investigate some Swedish dieticians', registered nurses' and physicians' thoughts about functional foods and their willingness to recommend such foods to patients. The health-care professionals were recruited to participate in one group interview with each profession. Participants were recruited through mailed invitations from primary care centers in Uppsala County district. The interviewed physicians and registered nurses, in contrast to the dieticians, expressed more skepticism and distrust about functional foods, their claimed effects on health and the research documenting these effects. The participating dieticians were more willing to recommend the products to patients than were the participating nurses and physicians. Differences in educational and professional background and level of proficiency in nutrition may have affected the disparate beliefs about functional foods among the interviewed groups. Confusion among patients could be a consequence but further research into these disparities is needed.
Landström
Eva
E
Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Section of Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala Science Park, SE-751 83, Uppsala, Sweden. Eva.Landstrom@pubcare.uu.se
Sidenvall
Birgitta
B
Koivisto Hursti
Ulla-Kaisa
UK
Magnusson
Maria
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003257:Consumer Product Safety; D004046:Dietetics; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D005260:Female; D058870:Food, Organic; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009726:Nurses / Q000523:psychology; D010465:Perception; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology; D011320:Primary Health Care; D013548:Sweden