Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t7czq Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-22T17:40:10.775Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Eating habits, beliefs, attitudes and knowledge among health professionals regarding the links between obesity, nutrition and health

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2007

CR Hankey ,
S Eley ,
WS Leslie ,
CM Hunter  and
MEJ Lean
CR Hankey*
Affiliation:
University of Glasgow Department of Human Nutrition, Queen Elizabeth Building, Royal Infirmary, Glasgow G31 2ER, UK
S Eley
Affiliation:
Department of Applied Social Science, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA, UK
WS Leslie
Affiliation:
University of Glasgow Department of Human Nutrition, Queen Elizabeth Building, Royal Infirmary, Glasgow G31 2ER, UK
CM Hunter
Affiliation:
Skene Medical Group, Westhill Drive, Westhill, Aberdeen AB32 6RL, UK
MEJ Lean
Affiliation:
University of Glasgow Department of Human Nutrition, Queen Elizabeth Building, Royal Infirmary, Glasgow G31 2ER, UK
*
*Corresponding author: Email [email protected]
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.
Objective:

To document knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and eating habits of health professionals with respect to obesity, nutrition and weight management.

Design:

A self-complete questionnaire postal survey.

Setting:

Primary care and dietetic practice in Scotland.

Subjects:

A systematic stratified sample of 2290 subjects incorporated general practitioners (n = 1400), practice nurses (n = 613) and all practising dietitians (n = 360) who were members of the British Dietetic Association.

Results:

The overall response rate was 65%. All professionals showed a clear understanding of nutrition and health. Understanding of obesity as a disease and of the effectiveness of weight management using low-energy diets was limited. Below 10% had carried out audit to determine the incidence of obesity and overweight, and most were uncertain about their own effectiveness in delivering weight management advice.

Conclusion:

This study confirms that health professionals have some knowledge of nutrition and weight management but are unclear how to deliver effective weight management advice. Further training is justified to ensure the effective provision of nutritional advice to patients.

Keywords

Nutrition knowledgeObesity and overweightGeneral practitionersPractice nursesDietitians
Type
Research Article
Information
Public Health Nutrition , Volume 7 , Issue 2 , April 2004 , pp. 337 - 343
Copyright
Copyright © CAB International 2004

References

1Tuomilehto, J, Lindstrom, J, Eriksson, JG, Valle, TT, Hamalainen, H, Ilanne-Parikka, P, et al. Prevention of type 2 diabetes mellitus by changes in lifestyle among subjects with impaired glucose tolerance. New England Journal of Medicine 2001; 344: 1343–50.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
2Diabetes Prevention Program Research Group. Reduction in the incidence of type 2 diabetes with lifestyle intervention or metformin. New England Journal of Medicine 2002; 346: 393–403.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
3Lean, MEJ. Obesity: A Clinical Issue. London: Science Press, 1996.Google Scholar
4World Health Organization (WHO), International Obesity Task Force. Obesity: Preventing and Managing the Global Epidemic. Report of a WHO Consultation on Obesity, 1997. Geneva: WHO, 1998.Google Scholar
5National Audit Office. Tackling Obesity in England. Report by the Controller and Auditor General London: National Audit Office, 2001.Google Scholar
6Shaw, A, McMunn, A, Field, J, eds. The Scottish Health Survey 1998. Scottish Executive Health Department. Edinburgh: HMSO, 2000.Google Scholar
7Truswell, AS. Family physicians and patients: is effective nutrition interaction possible? American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2000; 71(1): 6–12.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
8Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN). Obesity in Scotland: Integrating Prevention with Weight Management. Publication No. 8. Edinburgh: SIGN, 1996; (http://www.sign.ac.uk).Google Scholar
9Buttriss, JL. Food and nutrition: attitudes, beliefs and knowledge in the United Kingdom. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 1997; 65: 1985S–95S.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
10Office for National Statistics. Living in Britain. 1996 General Household Survey. London: The Stationery Office, 1998; Table 8.20.Google Scholar
11Hoppe, R, Ogden, J. Practice nurses' beliefs about obesity and weight related interventions in primary care. International Journal of Obesity 1997; 21: 141–6.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
12Campbell, K, Crawford, D. Management of obesity: attitudes and practices of Australian dietitians. International Journal of Obesity 2000; 24: 701–10.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
13Scottish Office. Eating for Health: An Action Plan for Scotland, Edinburgh: HMSO, 1996.Google Scholar
14Carstairs, V, Morris, R. Deprivation and Health in Scotland. Aberdeen: Aberdeen University Press, 1991.Google Scholar
15Eley Morris, S, Hankey, CR, Lean, MEJ, Hunter, C. Who gets what treatment for obesity? A survey of GPs in Scotland. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 1999; 53: s44–8.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
16Greater Glasgow Health Board. Are You a Hearty Eater? Glasgow: Greater Glasgow Health Board, 1987.Google Scholar
17Scottish Office. The Scottish Diet. A Report of a Working Party to the Chief Medical Officer for Scotland. Edinburgh: HMSO, 1994.Google Scholar
18Dirlewanger, M, di Vetta, V, Guenat, E, Battilana, P, Seematter, G, Schneiter, P, et al. Effects of short-term carbohydrate or fat overfeeding on energy expenditure and plasma leptin concentrations in healthy female subjects. International Journal of Obesity 2000; 24: 1413–8.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
19Haines, A, Sanders, TA. Dietary advice for lowering plasma cholesterol. British Medical Journal 1989; 298: 1594–5.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
20Murray, S, Narayan, V, Mitchell, M, Witte, H. Study of dietetic knowledge among members of the primary healthcare team. British Journal of General Practice 1993; 43: 29–31.Google Scholar
21Moore, H, Adamson, AJ. Nutrition interventions by primary care staff: a survey of involvement, knowledge and attitude. Public Health Nutrition 2002; 5: 531–6.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
22Lissner, L, Heitmann, BL. The dietary fat:carbohydrate ratio in relation to body weight. Current Opinion in Lipidology 1995; 6: 8–13.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
23Committee on the Medical Aspects of Food Policy. Dietary Reference Values for Food Energy and Nutrients for the United Kingdom. Report on Health and Social Subjects No. 41. London: HMSO, 1991.Google Scholar
24Black, AE, Goldberg, GR, Jebb, SA, Livingstone, MB, Cole, TJ, Prentice, AM. Critical evaluation of energy intake data using fundamental principles of energy physiology: 2. Evaluating the results of published surveys. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 1991; 45: 583–99.Google ScholarPubMed
25Heitmann, BL, Lissner, L. Dietary underreporting by obese individuals – is it specific or non-specific? British Medical Journal 1995; 311: 986–9.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
26Lean, MEJ, Han, TS, Seidell, JC. Impairment of health and quality of life in people with large waist circumference. Lancet 1998; 351: 853–6.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
27Han, TS, Morrison, CE, Lean, MEJ. Age and health indications assessed by silhouette photographs. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 1999; 53: 606–11.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
28Han, TS, Lean, MEJ. Self-reported waist circumference compared with the ‘waist watcher’ tape-measure to identify individuals at increased health risk through intra-abdominal fat accumulation. British Journal of Nutrition 1998; 80: 81–8.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
29Rapoport, L, Clark, M, Wardle, J. Evaluation of a modified cognitive–behavioural programme for weight management. International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders 2000; 24: 1726–37.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
30Mercer, SW, Tessier, S. A qualitative study of general practitioners' and practice nurses' attitudes to obesity management in primary care. Health Bulletin 2001; 59: 248–53.Google ScholarPubMed
31Department of Health, Nutrition Task Force, Project Team on Nutrition. Core Curriculum for Nutrition in the Education of Health Professionals. London: Department of Health, 1994.Google Scholar
32Hoppe, R, Ogden, J. The relative effectiveness of two styles of educational package to change practice nurses' management of obesity. International Journal of Obesity 1997; 21: 963–71.Google Scholar