title: Doctors' attitudes and confidence towards providing nutrition care in practice: Comparison of New Zealand medical students, general practice registrars and general practitioners.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Improvements in individuals' nutrition behaviour can improve risk factors and outcomes associated with lifestyle-related chronic diseases.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study describes and compares New Zealand medical students, general practice registrars and general practitioners' (GPs') attitudes towards incorporating nutrition care into practice, and self-perceived skills in providing nutrition care.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 183 New Zealand medical students, 51 general practice registrars and 57 GPs completed a 60-item questionnaire investigating attitudes towards incorporating nutrition care into practice and self-perceived skills in providing nutrition care. Items were scored using a 5-point Likert scale. Factor analysis was conducted to group questionnaire items and a generalised linear model compared differences between medical students, general practice registrars and GPs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All groups indicated that incorporating nutrition care into practice is important. GPs displayed more positive attitudes than students towards incorporating nutrition in routine care (p<0.0001) and performing nutrition recommendations (p<0.0001). General practice registrars were more positive than students towards performing nutrition recommendations (p=0.004), specified practices (p=0.037), and eliciting behaviour change (p=0.024). All groups displayed moderate confidence towards providing nutrition care. GPs were more confident than students in areas relating to wellness and disease (p<0.0001); macronutrients (p=0.030); micronutrients (p=0.010); and women, infants and children (p<0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  New Zealand medical students, general practice registrars and GPs have positive attitudes and moderate confidence towards incorporating nutrition care into practice. It is possible that GPs' experience providing nutrition care contributes to greater confidence. Strategies to facilitate medical students developing confidence in providing nutrition care are warranted.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, The University of Auckland, PB 92019, Auckland 1142, New Zealand. jcro057@aucklanduni.ac.nz.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Crowley
authors.affiliation: Griffith Health Institute, Centre for Health Practice Innovation, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia.
authors.forename: Lauren
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ball
authors.affiliation: Discipline of Nutrition, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Dug Yeo
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Department of General Practice and Primary Health Care, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Anne-Thea
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: McGill
authors.affiliation: Department of General Practice and Primary Health Care, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Bruce
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Arroll
authors.affiliation: School of Human Movement Studies, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Leveritt
authors.affiliation: Discipline of Nutrition, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Clare
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wall
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D000067576:Child Health; D002983:Clinical Competence; D004501:Education, Medical; D005260:Female; D058005:General Practitioners / Q000523:psychology*; D015438:Health Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D009520:New Zealand; D044623:Nutrition Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D020377:Self Efficacy; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology*; D016387:Women's Health