Association between sources of nutrition information and self-perceived nutrition competence of healthcare professionals: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: Healthcare professionals other than dietitians are widely perceived as credible sources of nutrition information by patients, despite many of these professionals having received limited nutrition training. Little is known about where healthcare professionals obtain nutrition information and how reliance on various sources of nutrition information relates to their self-perceived nutrition competence. This study aimed to investigate the association between the frequency of accessing nutrition information from evidence-based and non-evidence-based sources and healthcare professionals' self-perceived nutrition competence. METHODS: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted using a questionnaire adapted from the NUTrition COMPetence (NUTCOMP) tool. Independent variables included self-reported frequencies of accessing various nutrition information sources in the preceding 30 days, measured by Likert-scale questions. The primary outcome was self-perceived nutrition competence assessed by NUTCOMP scores. A robust linear regression model was created to evaluate associations between NUTCOMP scores and frequencies of accessing different nutrition information sources, adjusting for age, sex, profession, education level, workplace, and previous nutrition education. The statistical significance level was set at 0.05. RESULTS: A total of 450 healthcare professionals working in healthcare facilities across China were enrolled, including 302 (67.11%) nurses and 124 (27.56%) doctors. The median NUTCOMP score was 120 (interquartile range 102-141). The most popular information sources were colleagues (n = 293), social media (n = 222), and professional websites (n = 121). More frequent access to nutrition information from colleagues (β = 3.75, p < 0.001), friends or family members (β = 2.71, p = 0.02), and academic webinars or continuing education (β = 3.92, p = 0.002) were significantly associated with higher NUTCOMP scores. CONCLUSIONS: Healthcare professionals in China frequently accessed nutrition information from both evidence-based and non-evidence-based sources. Frequencies of accessing nutrition information from colleagues, friends or family members, and academic webinars or continuing education were positively associated with self-perceived nutrition competence. The association observed with non-evidence-based sources highlights the need to better understand how information-seeking behaviors influence professional confidence and clinical practice. Future research is needed to develop strategies to strengthen evidence-based nutrition information sharing that may enhance nutrition competence.