Knowledge and Implementation of the Nutrition Care Process Among Dietetic Interns in Nigeria

The Nutrition Care Process (NCP) is a systematic method used by nutrition and dietetic professionals to provide high-quality nutrition care. This study assessed NCP knowledge and implementation as well as barriers and facilitators of implementation among dietetic interns in Nigeria. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 216 dietetic interns from thirteen accredited training hospitals in Nigeria using a validated semi-structured electronic questionnaire. NCP knowledge was assessed using eight questions from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics tutorial and categorized as poor (<5) or good (≥5). Implementation of the four NCP steps was scored by frequency (0–20) and categorized into 5 levels ranging from "very low" to "very high." Barriers and facilitators to NCP were assessed using a rating scale. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Fisher's exact test. Statistical significance was set at p<0.05. Mean age (years) was 28.44 ± 4.36 and 84.7% were females. The majority (80.6%) of the interns had good NCP knowledge (mean score=5.73±1.54), which varied significantly across the hospitals (p=0.000). About 64.4%, 21.8%, and 12.0% had very high, high, and low NCP implementation, respectively. The major facilitators to NCP implementation were regular training or practical exposure (64.8%), presence of a dietitian facilitating use in hospital (63.8%) and implementation of NCP in the training hospitals (63.3%). NCP implementation by dietetic interns was associated with the training hospitals (p=0.001) but not with NCP knowledge (p=0.104). Nigerian dietetic interns have adequate knowledge and frequently use NCP when providing nutrition care. Nevertheless, regular training and implementation of NCP in hospitals are crucial to enhancing its use.