A survey from ASAND (Scientific Association of Food, Nutrition and Dietetics) and ITACARE-P (Italian Alliance for Cardiuvascular Rehabilitation and Prevention) on nutritional knowledge and adherence to the Mediterranean diet of cardiologists, resident physicians, nurses, physicaltherapists and psychologists in cardiology: DEMETRA (Italian DiEtitians’ nutritional knowledge and adherence to the MEdiTeRrAnean diet)

Introduction Nutritional literacy enables the proper management of information about food and diet, promoting adequate nutritional habits. Diet plays a central role in the prevention and management of cardiovascular diseases. In centres dedicated to cardiovascular prevention and cardiac rehabilitation, dietitian-led nutritional care is essential, but all team members contribute to patient education, requiring continuous knowledge updates. The DEMETRA survey assessed the nutritional knowledge of the cardiology teams members, their adherence to the Mediterranean Diet, and the relationship between knowledge and adherence. Methods The DEMETRA survey, promoted by ASAND and ITACARE-P, involved healthcare professionals of cardiovascular prevention and rehabilitation teams (cardiologists, resident physicians, psychologists, nurses, and physiotherapists), excluding dietitians. The online questionnaire collected demographic data, presence of a dietitian in the team, nutritional knowledge (Moynihan questionnaire), and adherence to the Mediterranean Diet (QueMD questionnaire). Results A total of 153 healthcare professionals participated. Nutritional knowledge and Mediterranean Diet adherence were similar between medical and non-medical professionals ( p > 0.05). Higher knowledge did not consistently correspond to greater dietary adherence. Only participants with high adherence to the Mediterranean model reported a mean score consistent with high nutritional knowledge. Conclusions Nutritional knowledge and Mediterranean Diet adherence were moderate but below optimal levels. A possible positive relationship emerged between high adherence to the Mediterranean model and greater nutritional knowledge. These findings highlight the need for targeted educational strategies and reinforce the strategic role of dietitians in strengthening nutrition competencies within multidisciplinary cardiovascular teams.