Changes in Nutrition Focused Physical Examination Knowledge and Practices of Dietitians Who Completed an In-Person Workshop With 1-Year Online Follow-Up in Malaysia

Abstract

Abstract Objectives Nutrition-focused physical examination (NFPE) is a component of nutrition assessment performed by dietitians. There is limited research globally on NFPE practices of dietitians. This study explored changes in NFPE knowledge and practices over 1-year among clinical dietitians in Malaysia who completed a hybrid NFPE training program. Methods This was a secondary analysis of data from a pilot study. Participants attended a 2-day in-person workshop in Malaysia with quarterly online follow-up over 1-year. A 50-item multiple-choice knowledge test was completed by participants before and immediately, 6- and 12-months post-training. They completed data collection forms with self-reported performance of 43 NFPE practice tasks conducted during patient assessments before and 6- and 12-months post-training. Descriptive statistics, one-way repeated-measures ANOVA for knowledge assessment scores and Chi-square tests for changes in frequencies of NFPE performance were used for analyses; statistical significance was P ≤ 0.05. Results Of the 16 clinical dietitian participants who enrolled, 81.3% (n = 13) completed the study. Participants had a mean of 9.3 ± 6.4 years ofclinical practice; 81.3% (n = 13) had no prior NFPE training. Mean NFPE knowledge scores increased significantly from before (33.8 ± 3.9) to immediately post-training (44.0 ± 3.2; P < 0.001); this increase was sustained to 12-months post-training (43.3 ± 2.9; P < 0.001). Performance of all 43 NFPE practice tasks increased significantly from before to 12-months post-training (P < 0.001). Conclusions Clinical dietitian participants in this study increased their knowledge and practice of NFPE from before to 12-months post-training. In-person NFPE training with 1-year online follow-up is feasible for training clinical dietitians in Malaysia. Future research should explore using a control group to examine the effectiveness of a hybrid NFPE training program in this population. Funding Sources Rutgers Global Grant.