Medical Students Lack Proper Nutrition Education

Most medical students receive inadequate nutrition education, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Osteopathic Association. Researchers surveyed and quizzed 257 osteopathic medical students, reviewed their knowledge of basic nutrition education, and assessed their attitudes toward applying their nutrition knowledge in a clinical setting. While the majority of participants felt comfortable with their abilities to treat patients with nutrition education, results showed more than 50 percent did not pass the nutrition quiz.Less than 12 percent of those surveyed knew current dietary reference intakes, a key marker for assessing patients' nutrient needs. The authors call for more robust assessments of nutrition awareness and adherence to nutrition education requirements.