Strategies to enhance the integration of nutrition education within medical programs.

Increasing the number and involvement of nutrition experts and nutrition advocates within medical schools has been proposed to enhance integration of nutrition education. The aims of this study were (1) To describe the role and activity of Nutrition Professionals (NPs) within medical schools, and (2) To explore NPs’ and Non Nutrition Professionals’ (NNPs’) perceptions of, and attitudes to, advocacy for nutrition education within medical programs. Questionnaires were emailed to NPs and NNPs within 51 Australian, UK and USA medical schools, as well as to members of five dietetic or nutrition-related professional associations. A total of 217 NPs and 371 NNPs provided completed questionnaires; 24 respondents were interviewed. The results showed that NPs participate to a significantly lesser and insufficient extent in the general activities of a medical school than their NNP colleagues. The majority of respondents thought that NPs should be involved in teaching, research, and curriculum development. Specifically, NNPs involved in clinical supervision, in a multidisciplinary team, and in teaching, may be well placed to act as agents for change in enhancing NP involvement. Substantially more NPs than NNPs reported advocating for nutrition education, and a suggestion for encouraging more NNPs to advocate is through NP-NNP partnerships. NNP coordinators, in particular, are in a good position to act as agents for change. It was commonly reported that nutrition advocacy requires supportive relationships, and that advocacy efforts typically take the form of communicating the importance of nutrition through teaching, being involved in curriculum-related activity, and being proactive in a nutrition-related department or discipline. Arguments encouraging advocacy were thought to be best addressed from a disciplinary or departmental perspective. The research conclusions provide guidance for people embarking on a mission to improve the status of medical nutrition education