ESPE Abstracts

Background: It is well known that obesity, diabetes or chronic disease are related with nutrition. However it has not been known whether health providers have concepts or competence about counseling of nutritional support in clinical practice basis. There is rare of information about differences among types of profession jobs.

Objective and hypotheses: We investigated a survey with standardized questionnaire tool among different types of profession jobs doctors, nurses, dieticians with modified Korean version from original NUTCOMP (nutrition care competence) tool by Lauren Ball. Evaluation items to assess nutrition care competence are confidence in knowledge about nutrition and chronic disease, confidence in nutrition skills, confidence in communication and counselling about nutrition, attitudes towards nutrition care.

Results: Total 67 participants, 36 doctors, 18 nurses and 13 dieticians were enrolled as pilot sample populations. For validation of Korean version questionnaire, linguistic validation and cultural validation by two bilingual experts were taken. Reliability of Korean version NUTCOMP was tested as Cronbach’s coefficient (α=0.934). Current job duration was 7.25±6.42 (year, mean±S.D.). Completion of a program that included some nutrition content was 49.3% (n=33) and no previous engagement in continuing education on the topic of nutrition was 68.7% (n=46). Agreement with need of further nutrition education was 53.7% (n=36) and strong agreement was 20.9% (n=14). Nutrition care competence between doctors, nurses and dieticians (n=67) about knowledge, skill, counselling & communication, attitude were significantly different except category of attitude. Doctors and nurses have less competence in three categories than dieticians (P<0.001). Factors influencing the nutrition care competence in health care providers were previous nutrition education (β=0.272, P=0.018) and continuing education on the topic of nutrition (β=0.506, P<0.001).

Conclusion: The NUTCOMP Korean version is valid tool to assess nutrition care competence in the Korean health care providers and nutrition education experiences are important to affect confidence about nutrition care.