Results

Although clinical nutrition plays a major role in the prevention and treatment of many leading causes of cardiovascular mortality around the world, a large proportion of medical students do not feel properly prepared to give nutritional advice to their patients. The teaching of nutrition in medical school has therefore become imperative. Although the practice of clinical nutrition in Brazil, as in many other countries, is the responsibility of physicians, adequate curricular training at medical school is rare. The main objective of this study, therefore, was to assess the attitudes and knowledge of medical students regarding clinical nutrition. The final sample of this research consisted of 87 students currently in their final year of a private medical school in Belem, surveyed between May and June 2018. Attitudes toward nutrition were measured using previously validated questionnaires. Knowledge was assessed using a multiple-choice quiz adapted from a previous 2008 study conducted by Vetter. This study followed international rules for human research. The statistical analysis was performed using the software Bioestat ® 5.3. Of the 92 participants, 87 (94%) completed the survey. Although 94.3% claimed to have a positive attitude towards nutritional care, students showed ambivalent perspectives concerning the efficacy of physicians in clinical nutrition. 95.3% agreed that it was a physician’s duty to advise high-risk patients about dietary change, yet the average correct score on the knowledge quiz was 61.3%. Knowledge was lacking in the areas of nutrition for surgical patients, nephrology diseases and gynecologic/obstetric patients. There was no correlation between attitudes and knowledge in clinical nutrition. Neither a familiar requesting nutritional care nor the specialty chosen was associated with a difference in knowledge or attitude items. This study concluded that senior medical students perceive nutrition counseling as a priority, but lack the knowledge to provide adequate nutritional education to patients.

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