Nutritional knowledge attitude and practice of health professionals about cardiovascular diseases

Non-communicable diseases especially cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are a major health problem in all communities. Moreover, the best preventive measure concerning such diseases is the improvement of lifestyles in which proper nutrition has an important role. Thus, health-care providers have an important role in teaching proper nutrition to the community. The aim of present study was to determine nutritional knowledge, attitude and practice of health-care providers about CVD prevention. In this cross-sectional and descriptive study, 1421 health professionals including physicians, adepts, health technicians, health workers, and health volunteers were chosen. Nutritional knowledge, attitude and practice of the subjects were determined by means of a questionnaire. Food consumption frequency of these health professionals was determined by using a food frequency questionnaire and their respective mean weekly frequency of food consumption was analyzed by means of one-way ANOVA and P≤0.05 was taken as the significant level. Frequency of correct nutritional practice in health professionals was calculated through Chi-Square test. Mean percent of knowledge and attitude scores of health professional were 43±17.7 and 59.3±31.2 respectively. Physicians’ knowledge, attitude, and practice was significantly more than those of other professionals (P<0.05). Physicians had better nutrition practice compared with other health professionals (P<0.05). High knowledge, attitude, and correct practice of most physicians in comparison with other groups is related to their higher education and their better economical and social status. Other health professionals’ practice to inform people about some of basic food stuffs is not enough. Then, with regard to the preventive role of nutrition in CVD, more education of the health staff is necessary.