Are Future Doctors Prepared to Address Patients’ Nutritional Needs? Cooking and Nutritional Knowledge and Habits in Medical Students

Abstract

Background. Many diseases are linked to lifestyle in the United States, yet physicians receive little training in nutrition. Medical students’ prior knowledge of nutrition and cooking is unknown. Objective. To determine incoming medical students’ prior nutrition knowledge, culinary skills, and nutrition habits. Methods. A dual-methods study of first-year medical students. Cross-sectional survey assessing prior knowledge, self-efficacy, and previous education of cooking and nutrition. Interviews of second-year medical students explored cooking and nutrition in greater depth. Results. A total of 142 first-year medical students participated; 16% had taken a nutrition course, with majority (66%) learning outside classroom settings. Students had a mean score of 87% on the Nutritional Knowledge Questionnaire versus comparison group (64.9%). Mean cooking and food skills score were lower than comparison scores. Overall, students did not meet guidelines for fiber, fruit, vegetables, and whole grains. Interviews with second-year students revealed most learned to cook from their families; all believed it important for physicians to have this knowledge. Conclusions. Medical students were knowledgeable about nutrition, but typically self-taught. They were not as confident or skilled in cooking, and mostly learned from their family. They expressed interest in learning more about nutrition and cooking.

The Use of Reframing: Increasing the Importance of Lifestyle Medicine

“…Difficulties in the implementation of lifestyle behavior modifications in the physician office are due to multiple factors. Increasing comfort and knowledge in healthcare professionals who are not trained in lifestyle behaviors is important as discussed by Sugimoto and colleagues 8 in this issue. Multiple other factors also play large roles.…”

“…[3][4][5][6][7] To address this issue, Sugimoto and colleagues 8 evaluated the knowledge, selfefficacy, and education of cooking and nutrition in medical students and found that many felt knowledgeable about nutrition, were often self-taught but were interested in more nutrition education. 8 This is important as nutrition education in medical school has been largely inadequate for decades despite consensus that healthy diets are essential components to the overall care of all patients. 9 In recent years, increased nutrition training has been offered in medical school; 8 however, the translation from education in medical schools to application in clinical practice remains elusive.…”

“…In recent years, increased nutrition training has been offered in medical school; 8 however, the translation from education in medical schools to application in clinical practice remains elusive. 9-12 This is not only true for nutrition but for lifestyle behaviors in general.…”

“…Lifestyle interventions are a first-line defense and treatment for maintaining normal health and development but are often considered adjunctive therapy in the medical setting. 3-7 To address this issue, Sugimoto and colleagues 8 evaluated the knowledge, self-efficacy, and education of cooking and nutrition in medical students and found that many felt knowledgeable about nutrition, were often self-taught but were interested in more nutrition education. 8 This is important as nutrition education in medical school has been largely inadequate for decades despite consensus that healthy diets are essential components to the overall care of all patients.…”

How Dietary Choices and Nutritional Knowledge Relate to Eating Disorders and Body Esteem of Medical Students? A Single-Center Cross-Sectional Study

“…Nonetheless, assessing the comprehensiveness of this education proves challenging due to inconsistencies in research findings. A 2021 study demonstrated that medical students achieved a significantly elevated mean score on the Nutritional Knowledge Questionnaire compared to a control group, displaying nearly one-third higher scores [22]. Moreover, a separate study focusing on UK students demonstrated that those pursuing healthcare-related disciplines exhibited higher median knowledge scores compared to their non-healthcare counterparts [23].…”