title: Impact of a basic nutrition course for residents at a faculty hospital. Did it make a difference in demand for nutrition consultations?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess whether a basic nutrition course for residents at a faculty hospital improves their knowledge of nutrition and increases the number of consultation requests for nutrition by alerting participants to the high prevalence of undernutrition in hospitals.
  
  
  METHODS
  The residents from 34 departments of basic, internal and surgical sciences were recruited to take a 1-day course. Questionnaires, designed to assess knowledge of nutrition, were completed at the beginning and at the end of the course. The results of the questionnaires and the number of consultation demands for nutrition before and after the course were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results of 161 participants were evaluated. The mean (+/-SE) numbers of correct answers given to the first and second questionnaires were 14.9 +/- 0.22 and 18.7 +/- 0.21, respectively (p < 0.01). When the number of requests for nutrition consultation during 7-month periods (just before and after the course) were compared, the mean number of requests in each month during these periods were found to be 1.81 +/- 0.58 and 4.06 +/- 1.20, respectively (p < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A short course of basic nutrition for residents improves their basic knowledge and leads to an increase in the number of consultation requests for nutritional support.
authors: Nutrition Unit, Uludag University Medical Faculty, Bursa, Turkey. tkirdak@uludag.edu.tr
authors: Turkay
authors: T
authors: Kirdak
authors: Remzi
authors: R
authors: Iscimen
authors: Burak
authors: B
authors: Tanir
authors: Nermin
authors: N
authors: Kelebek
authors: Murat
authors: M
authors: Keskin
authors: Nusret
authors: N
authors: Korun
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004503:Education, Medical, Graduate; D004521:Educational Measurement; D005260:Female; D005521:Food Service, Hospital; D013502:General Surgery / Q000193:education; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D007388:Internal Medicine / Q000193:education; D007396:Internship and Residency; D008297:Male; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D052756:Nutritional Sciences / Q000193:education*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012577:Schools, Medical; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires