title: Frequency and Confidence of Healthcare Practitioners in Encountering and Addressing Nutrition-Related Issues.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Identify the frequency of nutrition issues encountered by healthcare professionals and their confidence in addressing these issues.
  
  
  METHODS
  A survey designed to assess the frequency and type of nutrition issues most often encountered in practice of a variety of healthcare professionals and the practitioners' confidence in addressing nutrition issues was developed and distributed to 5,729 graduates from an academic medical center. Descriptive statistics were calculated for all variables. Logistic regression models were used to find predictors of confidence.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The final response rate was 17.2% (n=987). The most common nutrition-related problems encountered included obesity (43.8%), diabetes mellitus (43%), and cardiovascular disease (37.1%). Nutrition issues were encountered daily or weekly by 70.5% of healthcare providers, but only 24.8% felt "very confident" in addressing nutrition issues. Significant predictors of confidence included number of years working, more frequent nutrition-related encounters, and nutrition education in professional programs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Healthcare practitioners encounter nutrition issues frequently in practice and often do not have a high level of confidence in addressing these issues.
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical Nutrition Education, College of Allied Health Professions, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 4045 Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-4045, USA. Tel 402-559-3658. ckhanson@unmc.edu.
authors.forename: Corrine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hanson
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Staskiewicz
authors.forename: Glenda
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Woscyna
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lyden
authors.forename: Tamara
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ritsema
authors.forename: Joe
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Norman
authors.forename: Patty
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Scholting
authors.forename: Connie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Miller
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002983:Clinical Competence; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009748:Nutrition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D018673:Nutrition Policy