Impact of a Teaching Kitchen Curriculum for Health Professional Trainees in Nutrition Knowledge, Confidence, and Skills to Advance Obesity Prevention and Management in Clinical Practice

Nutrients. 2023 Sep 30;15(19):4240. doi: 10.3390/nu15194240.

Abstract

Nutrition knowledge, confidence, and skills are thought to be important elements in the role of healthcare professionals in obesity prevention and management. The Upstream Obesity Solutions curriculum goes upstream with a multidisciplinary approach to supplement nutrition education among health professional trainees. Educational strategies of didactics, teaching kitchens, and service-based learning were employed for medical, dental, and nursing students and resident physicians. Pre/post participation surveys assessed knowledge, attitude, and practices; lifestyle habits; and culinary skills among 75 trainees in this cross-sectional descriptive study. There was variability in statistically significant improvement in knowledge, attitudes, and practices about obesity management and nutrition education, lifestyle habits, and culinary skills among learner groups.

Keywords: dental students; health professionals training; medical education; medical students; nursing students; nutrition curriculum; resident physicians; teaching kitchen.

MeSH terms

  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Curriculum*
  • Health Education*
  • Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
  • Health Personnel
  • Humans
  • Obesity / prevention & control

Grants and funding