Assessment of Knowledge and Attitude of PHC Providers Toward Basic Nutrition and Physical Activity Information

• Main Authors: Maher Jawad Kadhum, Waleed Arif Al-Ani, Israa Umran Al-Saady
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dow University of Health Sciences 2012-06-01
• Series: Journal of the Dow University of Health Sciences
• Online Access: http://www.jduhs.com/index.php/jduhs/article/view/20

Objective To assess the knowledge of PHC providers in PHCC about healthy food, nutrition assessment methods, physical activity and their relation to physical and mental health. Setting: Primary Health Care Centers in four districts in Hillah City. Methods Survey using structured, self–administered questionnaire consisting of close-ended questions on knowledge of groups of food and information about description of healthy diet and physical activity was distributed to 110 health workers (58% of them were males and 42% females) during the period from 1st February 2011 to 31st May 2011. Results 26% of the health workers were trained on nutritional aspects, 54% of them knew the definition of malnutrition and only 19% of them were aware of nutritional assessment methods. Regarding their knowledge about healthy diet, 55% of them had complete information, 72% recognized that fruits and vegetables should be consumed less than 3 times daily and 80.9% knew the meaning of whole grains, while 94% described vegetable oil as the more healthy type and more than half had information on milk and its products (skimmed type as the best). The relation between diet and diseases was recognized by almost all of them. Physical activity was related to health and fitness in half of the health workers. 98% agreed on social and family support role and about the same percentage (92%) advised <5 days of sports per week and the best duration of walking was described as <30 minutes daily (84%), and walking on feet was considered to be the best way of transportation (65.5%). Conclusion It is concluded that the PHC workers have little knowledge regarding nutrition, malnutrition, methods of nutritional assessment and diet. There is a deficiency in knowing the details of physical activity that highlights the importance of and need for more nutritional education to raise their knowledge in this aspect. Health workers, therefore, need more training and workshops. There is a dire need to establish nutritional units in all PHC centers.