Document Type
Article
Source of Publication
Healthcare (Switzerland)
Publication Date
10-1-2023
Abstract
Family physicians serve as pivotal points of contact within global healthcare systems. Nutrition plays a significant role in lifestyle and preventive medicine. With the rise of chronic and non-communicable diseases in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, these physicians advise patients and the public on diet-related conditions. This descriptive cross-sectional study assessed the nutritional knowledge and practices across the GCC. Combining survey data from multiple GCC sites, a sample of family physicians was generated. Registered GCC family physicians received email invitations containing participant information, informed consent forms, and a self-administered online questionnaire. Analysis of data from four GCC countries involving 8751 family physicians and nutrition experts revealed an average nutrition knowledge score of 62%. Nearly all participants recognized the importance of nutrition in preventing and treating chronic diseases. Common nutritional practices included recommending regular exercise (92%), referring patients to dietitians for nutrition-related concerns (70%), and providing nutrition advice (68.6%). GCC family physicians underscore the significance of nutrition in preventing and managing chronic ailments. Therefore, incorporating nutritional counseling into their practices is essential. This study highlights the need to integrate nutrition education into medical curricula and ongoing professional development, given that only 62% of GCC family physicians correctly answered nutrition-related questions.
DOI Link
ISSN
Publisher
MDPI AG
Volume
11
Issue
19
Disciplines
Medicine and Health Sciences
Keywords
attitude, family physician, GCC, knowledge, nutrition, practice
Scopus ID
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Alzaben, Abeer S.; Aljahdali, Abeer A.; Alasousi, Lulua F.; Alzaben, Ghadeer; Kennedy, Lynne; and Alhashem, Anwar, "Nutritional Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices among Family Physician Practitioners in Gulf Countries (Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and UAE)" (2023). All Works. 6166.
https://zuscholars.zu.ac.ae/works/6166
Indexed in Scopus
yes
Open Access
yes
Open Access Type
Gold: This publication is openly available in an open access journal/series