ASSESSING FOODSERVICE PERSONNEL’S KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND PRACTICES IN IDDSI PUREED DIET PREPARATION IN MALAYSIA

Dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing, is becoming more common, particularly among Malaysia's older population. However, handling and preparing dysphagia meals require competent and motivated personnel to meet the feeding and nutritional needs. This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of foodservice personnel in Malaysian government hospitals regarding pureed diets for dysphagia patients. A cross-sectional survey was done utilizing the validated KAP DYS Puree questionnaire, which was given online to foodservice personnel in public hospitals. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 29, containing descriptive statistics such as frequencies, percentages, means, modes, and standard deviations. A total of 162 respondents participated, the majority being women (n=115, 71.0%) employed in hospital foodservice departments. The results indicated moderate knowledge levels, with 65.4% (n=106) scoring between 9 and 16 among the respondents. Attitudes toward pureed diet preparation were largely positive, with 53.7% of respondents scoring in the excellent range (53–70), and 43.8% in the good range (35–52). Practice scores were similarly encouraging, with 70.4% reporting good practices (35–52). In conclusion, this study showed that foodservice staff in Malaysian government hospitals have good attitudes and practices when it comes to making pureed meals for patients with dysphagia, but their level of proficiency is still moderate. This suggests that in order to enhance understanding and to assure that individuals with dysphagia receive high-quality treatment, there is an urgent need for focused training and continuing education.