Abstract:
Nutritional assessment and counseling are core clinical skills expected from a medical graduate.
Our objective was to describe the knowledge and attitudes on nutritional assessment and
counseling among final year medical students. Since self-perceived scores are influenced by
non-test-relevant response determinants, we also intended to examine the effect of social
desirability bias on self-reported knowledge and attitudes to control for overestimation.
A random sample of final year medical students of a Sri Lankan Medical Faculty was assessed
using a self-administered questionnaire. Knowledge and attitudes on nutrition were measured
using a modified 17-item Nutrition in Patient Care Survey questionnaire. A 13-item Malrowe-
Crowne instrument was used to assess the social desirability. Questions were in English
language. Face validity of the above tests was established.
Of 88 respondents, 62.2%(n=56) were females. The mean age was 25.1±0.9 years. Seven
(7.8%) had participated in some kind of special projects in nutrition. Forty-three (47.8%) had
close friends/relatives with a medical condition which needed greater than normal attention to
nutrition. Mean knowledge score was 65.5%±8.9%. Mean positive attitudes score was
61.1%±6.5%. Although 85.6%(n=77) agreed that nutritional assessment should be included in
any routine consultation, 53.3%(n=48) agreed that most final year medical students are not
adequately trained to discuss nutrition issues with patients. Pearson’s test found no correlation
between attitudes and self-reported knowledge (r=.041, n=88, p>.05). Student’s t-tests did not
show significant differences of knowledge or attitudes depending on sex, participating in some
kind of special projects in nutrition, or having a close friend/relative with a medical condition
which needed greater than normal attention to nutrition(p>.05). The internal consistency of the
SD scale (Cronbach’s alpha) was 0.56. Results of a simple linear regression analysis predicting
knowledge and attitudes score from SD score did not show a statistically significant association
(F (1,74) =.050, p>.05, R2=.001, R2Adjusted=-.013).
Perceived knowledge and positive attitudes on nutritional assessment and counseling is
inadequate among final year medical students. The findings of this study do not support the
presence of social desirability bias in students’ reporting of knowledge and attitudes.
