Evaluating nutrition education interventions for medical students: A rapid review

Abstract Nutrition education programmes for athletes aim to enhance nutrition knowledge and more importantly support positive dietary change to enhance performance, health and well-being. This systematic review assessed changes in the dietary intakes of athletes in response to nutrition education programmes. A search was conducted which included studies providing quantitative dietary intake assessment of athletes of any calibre aged between 12 and 65 years in response to a nutrition education programme. Standardised differences (effect sizes) were calculated (when possible) for each dietary parameter. The search yielded 6285 papers with twenty-two studies (974 participants (71·9 % female)) eligible for inclusion. Studies described athletes competing at high school (n 3) through to college level or higher (n 19). Study designs were either single arm with an intervention-only group (twelve studies; n 241) or double arm including an intervention and control group (ten studies; n 689). No control groups received an alternative or ‘sham’ intervention. Face-to-face lectures (9/22) and individual nutrition counselling (6/22) were the most common education interventions. Non-weighed, 3-d diet records (10/22) were the most frequently utilised dietary assessment method. Although 14/22 studies (n 5 single and n 9 double) reported significant change in at least one nutrition parameter, dietary changes were inconsistent. Poor study quality and heterogeneity of methods prohibit firm conclusions regarding overall intervention success or superior types of educational modalities. Of note, carbohydrate intakes ‘post-intervention’ when assessed often failed to meet recommended guidelines (12/17 studies). Given the substantial investment made in nutrition education interventions with athletes, there is a need for well-designed and rigorous research to inform future best practice.

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Nutrition education in the medical school: experience with an elective course for first-year medical students

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition ◽

10.1093/ajcn/25.7.709 ◽

1972 ◽

Vol 25 (7) ◽

pp. 709-719 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Reva T. Frankle ◽

Eleanor R. Williams ◽

George Christakis

Keyword(s):

Medical Students ◽

Medical School ◽

Nutrition Education ◽

School Experience ◽

First Year ◽

Elective Course ◽

First Year Medical Students

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Medical Students’ Participation in Longitudinal Community Service During Preclerkship Years: A Qualitative Study on Experiences and Perceived Outcomes

Journal of Medical Education and Curricular Development ◽

10.1177/2382120520936610 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 7 ◽

pp. 238212052093661

Author(s):

Amier Haidar ◽

Samuel G Erickson ◽

Tiffany Champagne-Langabeer

Keyword(s):

Medical Students ◽

Nutrition Education ◽

Community Service ◽

Low Socioeconomic Status ◽

Well Being ◽

Low Socioeconomic ◽

Volunteer Program ◽

Semistructured Interviews ◽

Community Issues ◽

The Impact

The aim of this study was to qualitatively evaluate medical students perspectives of the benefits of a longitudinal volunteering experience compared with a 1-day community service experience. Fifteen medical students participated in 2 types of community service: (1) longitudinal, weekly volunteering from February to April of 2019 and (2) a single day of community service in March of 2019. Semistructured interviews were conducted to identify medical students perspectives of the impact of volunteering. Interview data was analyzed thematically based on the common ideas expressed by the participants. Four themes emerged: development of communication and interpersonal skills; understanding how to teach; ability to understand community issues in a low socioeconomic status (SES) neighborhood and the improvement of overall well-being. Medical students’ participation in a longitudinal nutrition education volunteer program was perceived as being an effective way to develop communication, interpersonal, and teaching skills. Medical students were able to interact with a diverse and vulnerable community located in a low SES neighborhood, to help them understand current community issues and risk factors.

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Medical students’ perceptions of nutrition education in Canadian universities

Applied Physiology Nutrition and Metabolism ◽

10.1139/h10-016 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 35 (3) ◽

pp. 336-343 ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

Leah M. Gramlich ◽

Dana Lee Olstad ◽

Roseanne Nasser ◽

Laki Goonewardene ◽

Maitreyi Raman ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Medical Students ◽

Medical School ◽

Student Satisfaction ◽

Nutrition Education ◽

Nutrient Requirements ◽

Undergraduate Medical Students ◽

Canadian Universities ◽

Survey Response Rate ◽

Nutrition Instruction

Patients routinely seek physicians’ guidance about diet and the relation between nutrition and the prevention and treatment of disease. However, the adequacy of nutrition instruction in undergraduate medical education is questionable. The purpose of this study was to investigate Canadian medical students’ perceptions of and satisfaction with their education in nutrition. At 9 universities across Canada, a 23-item survey questionnaire was distributed in English and French to undergraduate medical students after at least 8 months of medical school. Overall, 9 of 17 universities participated in the survey, and 933 of the 3267 medical students approached completed the survey (response rate, 28.6%). Mean satisfaction with nutrition instruction received during medical school was 4.7 (±0.06) on a scale of 1–10, where 1 is very dissatisfied and 10 is very satisfied, and there were significant differences among schools (p < 0.0001). Students were comfortable in their ability to counsel patients regarding basic nutrition concepts and the role of nutrition in prevention of disease, but were much less comfortable discussing the role of nutrition in the treatment of disease and nutrient requirements across the lifecycle, and in identifying credible sources of nutrition information. Of the 933 respondents, 87.2% believe that their undergraduate program should dedicate more time to nutrition education. The amount of nutrition instruction correlated with student satisfaction (p < 0.0001), but varied among schools. A significant number of students are dissatisfied with the nutrition education they receive and their ability to provide relevant and appropriate nutrition counselling. This study paves the way for further discussions and development of strategies to improve nutrition education in medical schools in Canada.

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Nutrition in Practice: A Shift from Nutrition Education Alone to Incorporation Into Medical Students’ Food Choices

Current Developments in Nutrition ◽

10.1093/cdn/nzaa048_004 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_2) ◽

pp. 598-598

Author(s):

JuliSu DiMucci-Ward ◽

Demetri Tsiolkas ◽

Elizabeth Zipprer,

Keyword(s):

Medical Students ◽

Nutrition Education ◽

Eating Habits ◽

Food Service ◽

Purchasing Behavior ◽

Funding Sources ◽

School Canteen ◽

Food And Beverage ◽

Product Loss ◽

Product Inventory

Abstract Objectives This study aims to show that if provided healthy food options in the on-campus canteen, medical students will develop healthier eating habits. Methods A mixed methods approach was utilized to conduct primary market research which look at the purchasing behavior of medical students, and faculty. The inventory offered in the school canteen, was tracked from 2016 through the first fifteen weeks of 2019. The data from the vendor listed the food items into 9 categories: bottled beverages, candy, general merchandise, ice cream, juice, large snacks, milk, non-carb beverage, and pastry. Of these categories, the top 10 sales for each year were obtained. This study included customer survey data, suggestion box data and product inventory data from the vendor. The customer input was summarized and shared with the vendor in the spring of 2018. The vendor accommodated the medical school customers in all the food and beverage options available for purchase beginning in the next stocking cycle. These changes were implemented over the following three months, despite early food service institutional barriers. Results Utilizing the vendor's product inventory excel spread sheets records of sales, product loss, and cost over a three-year period basic statistical analysis indicated that despite an initial drop in sales healthier foods began to trend in the highest sales categories. The foods and beverages that were suggested by students were shown to have been bought more abundantly and frequently after the changes to the canteen were made. Of the nine categories that were analyzed, the beverages showed the most dramatic changes from unhealthy to healthy choices; the sales of healthy beverages increased by 17% over the study period. Interestingly, there was an overall increase in the canteen's total profit in the last year of this study compared to the two previous years. Conclusions Students as active participants, when provided healthier food and beverage options demonstrated purchasing behavior indicating a desire to consume the healthier foods. This will be invaluable in the practice of medicine, as it is more efficacious to educate and motivate patients who need instruction regarding their nutritional needs if the providers are already living by that example. Funding Sources None

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A Rapid Systematic Review Exploring the Involvement of Medical Students in Pandemics and Other Global Health Emergencies

Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness ◽

10.1017/dmp.2020.315 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-13

Author(s):

Anastasia Martin ◽

Iris Martine Blom ◽

Gemma Whyatt ◽

Raghav Shaunak ◽

Maria Inês Francisco Viva ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Medical Students ◽

Global Health ◽

Health Impacts ◽

Rapid Review ◽

Narrative Synthesis ◽

Medical Assistance ◽

Online Databases ◽

The Impact

ABSTRACT Objectives: The role of medical students in the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is rapidly evolving. The aim of this review is to explore the involvement of medical students in past global health emergencies, to help inform current and future scenarios. Methods: A rapid systematic review was undertaken, including articles from online databases discussing the roles, willingness and appropriateness of medical student involvement in global health emergencies. Data were extracted, appraised and written up as a narrative synthesis. This study was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42020177231). Results: Twenty-eight articles were included. Medical students played a wide variety of clinical and nonclinical roles including education and logistics, although medical assistance was the most commonly reported role. Challenges included a lack of preparedness and negative mental health impacts. A total of 91.7% of included articles about willingness found medical students were more willing to be involved than not. Conclusions: This review shows medical students are capable and willing to be involved in global health emergencies. However, there should be clear protocols for the roles that they play, taking into account the appropriateness. As a rapid review, there were study limitations and more research is required regarding the impact of these roles on medical students and the system.

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