TY - JOUR
T1 - Are exercise professionals fit to provide nutrition advice?
T2 - An evaluation of general nutrition knowledge
AU - McKean, Mark
AU - Mitchell, Lachlan
AU - O'Connor, Helen
AU - Prvan, Tania
AU - Slater, Gary
PY - 2019/3
Y1 - 2019/3
N2 - Objectives: Registered exercise professionals (REP) are trained to provide structured exercise recommendations and general nutrition advice to healthy clients. However REP provide specific nutrition advice beyond their scope of practice, including diet-disease advice. The present study aims to investigate the level of general nutrition knowledge of REP, and compare this to a sample of community members (CTM), and university trained dietitians (DN). Design: Age-matched REP, CTM and DN were recruited to complete the previously validated revised-general nutrition knowledge questionnaire. Methods: Total nutrition knowledge score and section scores were compared between REP, CTM and DN. The impact of sex, age, level of education, and years’ experience on nutrition knowledge was investigated. Results: A total of 554 participants completed the questionnaire (REP, n = 161; CTM, n = 357; DN, n = 36). The DN group performed significantly better overall (DN, 91.2 ± 4.6; REP, 78.4 ± 9.6; CTM, 75.4 ± 11.3) and for knowledge of dietary guidelines (DN, 82.3 ± 20.7; REP, 80.5 ± 15.5; CTM, 80.0 ± 14.1), nutrient content of foods (DN, 92.6 ± 4.4; REP, 80.9 ± 9.9; CTM, 75.7 ± 12.0), and diet-disease relationships (DN, 91.4 ± 9.7; REP, 65.4 ± 18.0; CTM, 68.6 ± 11.1) compared to the REP and CTM groups (p < 0.001). Sex, education and age were all significant predictors of total nutrition knowledge (p < 0.0005). Conclusions: Total nutrition knowledge and knowledge of diet-disease relationships is limited in REP. Encouraging REP to work collaboratively with a multidisciplinary team, including DN, will assist in providing optimal client care in achieving health and body composition related goals.
AB - Objectives: Registered exercise professionals (REP) are trained to provide structured exercise recommendations and general nutrition advice to healthy clients. However REP provide specific nutrition advice beyond their scope of practice, including diet-disease advice. The present study aims to investigate the level of general nutrition knowledge of REP, and compare this to a sample of community members (CTM), and university trained dietitians (DN). Design: Age-matched REP, CTM and DN were recruited to complete the previously validated revised-general nutrition knowledge questionnaire. Methods: Total nutrition knowledge score and section scores were compared between REP, CTM and DN. The impact of sex, age, level of education, and years’ experience on nutrition knowledge was investigated. Results: A total of 554 participants completed the questionnaire (REP, n = 161; CTM, n = 357; DN, n = 36). The DN group performed significantly better overall (DN, 91.2 ± 4.6; REP, 78.4 ± 9.6; CTM, 75.4 ± 11.3) and for knowledge of dietary guidelines (DN, 82.3 ± 20.7; REP, 80.5 ± 15.5; CTM, 80.0 ± 14.1), nutrient content of foods (DN, 92.6 ± 4.4; REP, 80.9 ± 9.9; CTM, 75.7 ± 12.0), and diet-disease relationships (DN, 91.4 ± 9.7; REP, 65.4 ± 18.0; CTM, 68.6 ± 11.1) compared to the REP and CTM groups (p < 0.001). Sex, education and age were all significant predictors of total nutrition knowledge (p < 0.0005). Conclusions: Total nutrition knowledge and knowledge of diet-disease relationships is limited in REP. Encouraging REP to work collaboratively with a multidisciplinary team, including DN, will assist in providing optimal client care in achieving health and body composition related goals.
KW - Diet-disease relationship
KW - Exercise professionals
KW - Nutrition knowledge
KW - Scope of practice
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85053328388&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jsams.2018.08.018
DO - 10.1016/j.jsams.2018.08.018
M3 - Article
C2 - 30236846
AN - SCOPUS:85053328388
SN - 1440-2440
VL - 22
SP - 264
EP - 268
JO - Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport
JF - Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport
IS - 3
ER -