The Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Dietitians Licensed in Oregon Regarding Functional Foods, Nutrient Supplements, and Herbs as Complementary Medicine

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Abstract

Objective To examine the perceived knowledge and attitudes of dietitians licensed in Oregon (LDs) regarding the effectiveness and safety of functional foods, nutrient supplements, and herbs as complementary medicine as well as their personal use, recommendations for the use of others, and training needs.

Design A mailed survey was used to gather data. The questionnaire was developed and face-validated after a focus group discussion.

Subjects/setting A geographically stratified, random sample of 202 Oregon LDs was surveyed; usable data were collected from 162 LDs (80%).

Statistical analyses Descriptive statistics and χ2 tests were used to analyze data. The data were weighted to take account of the sampling method and yield population estimates.

Results LDs considered themselves to be knowledgeable of functional foods and nutrient supplements. More than 80% were confident of the effectiveness of functional foods and nutrient supplements for prevention of illness and treatment of chronic illness, and at least 89% were confident of their safety for these uses. Fewer than 75% considered herbs to be safe and only about 50% were confident of the effectiveness of herbs. Only 10% or fewer LDs considered themselves to be knowledgeable about herbs for prevention and treatment of illness. Interest in training about each of these less-traditional nutrition therapies was high.

Applications/conclusions Oregon LDs consider themselves to be actively practicing in the area of complementary medicine and have a strong desire for further training. The dietetics profession can capitalize on this interest by taking the lead in training dietitians about the role of functional foods, nutrient supplements, and herbs in health. J Am Diet Assoc. 2000;100:543-548.

Section snippets

Selection of Subjects

The subjects in this study were a geographically stratified, random sample of 202 of the 289 Oregon LDs with current residential or work addresses in Oregon. A power calculation indicated a sample of 165 would be sufficient to provide population estimates of the use of complementary medicine by Oregon LDs at the .05 level of precision (33). In a pilot study, almost 17% of respondents who were not currently practicing dietetics or who worked in government offices, research centers, and

Personal Use

A large majority of LDs reported personal use of functional foods (86%) and nutrient supplements (84%). Fewer than half (42%) of LDs reported using herbs during the past year.

Perceived Knowledge about the Role of Complementary Medicine

Many LDs reported being knowledgeable about the role of functional foods and nutrient supplements for each of the 4 narrowly defined purposes: maintenance of good health, prevention of chronic illness, treatment of chronic illness, and treatment of acute illness (Table 1). About two thirds or more of the LDs were confident

Discussion

To our knowledge, this study is one of the first reports of the knowledge, attitudes, and practice of US dietitians with respect to complementary medicine. Our results demonstrate that licensed dietitians in Oregon have a positive view of functional foods and nutrient supplements as nutrition therapies. Oregon LDs consider themselves to be relatively knowledgeable about these less-traditional nutrition therapies. Most of these LDs were confident that functional foods and nutrient supplements

Applications/Conclusions

Although the results of this study may not be generalizable to unlicensed dietitians in Oregon or dietitians in other states, the study does provide the timely information that the members of one group of US dietitians consider themselves to be actively practicing in the area of complementary medicine. This study also identifies a strong desire for training on the role of complementary medicine among LDs instate with an active complementary medicine profession.

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