Implementing nutritional medicine into medical curricula: A student-initiated course improves knowledge and attitudes

Moritz Dumm; Katharina Moll; Anna Helbach; Can Gero Leineweber; Tim Böttrich; Conrad Schulz Ruhtenberg; Maria Cristina Polidori; Jan Matthes

doi:10.1016/j.clnesp.2023.06.043

Implementing nutritional medicine into medical curricula: A student-initiated course improves knowledge and attitudes

Clin Nutr ESPEN. 2023 Oct:57:181-189. doi: 10.1016/j.clnesp.2023.06.043. Epub 2023 Jul 4.

Authors

Moritz Dumm¹, Katharina Moll², Anna Helbach³, Can Gero Leineweber⁴, Tim Böttrich⁵, Conrad Schulz Ruhtenberg², Maria Cristina Polidori⁶, Jan Matthes⁷

Affiliations

¹ University Hospital Cologne, Centre of Pharmacology, Gleueler Straße 24, 50931 Cologne, Germany; University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine, Joseph-Stelzmann-Straße 20, 50931 Cologne, Germany; Gemeinschaftskrankenhaus Havelhöhe, Department Intensive Care, First Aid & Cardiology, Kladower Damm 221, 14089 Berlin, Germany.
² University of Hamburg, Faculty of Medicine, Martinistraße 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany.
³ Institute of General Practice, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Kerpener Str. 62, 50937 Cologne, Germany.
⁴ Medical Department B of Internal Medicine, Brandenburg Medical School, University Hospital Ruppin-Brandenburg, Fehrbelliner Straße 38, 16816, Germany.
⁵ University of Gießen, Faculty of Medicine, Klinikstraße 29, 35392 Gießen, Germany.
⁶ Ageing Clinical Research, Department II of Internal Medicine and Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany; Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress-Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
⁷ University Hospital Cologne, Centre of Pharmacology, Gleueler Straße 24, 50931 Cologne, Germany; University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine, Joseph-Stelzmann-Straße 20, 50931 Cologne, Germany. Electronic address: jan.matthes@uni-koeln.de.

PMID: 37739654
DOI: 10.1016/j.clnesp.2023.06.043

Abstract

Background & aims: Although the risks and opportunities of nutrition in health trajectories are well known, it is rarely addressed in doctors' daily routine. This is partly related to physicians' lack of confidence in their ability to provide nutritional counselling, possibly due to insufficient training in medical school. Our study aimed at assessing the status quo of nutrition in the German medical curricula and the impact of a recently implemented, student-initiated online teaching initiative on perceived competence, knowledge and attitudes.

Methods: "Eat This!" was the first Germany-wide initiative for online nutritional medicine (NM) education, consisting of 11 digital lectures on nutrition basics, nutrition medicine and public health nutrition. The contact time with NM during studies as well as the effects on students' attitudes towards NM, their self-perceived competence in NM and their nutrition knowledge were assessed from October 2020 to February 2021 in a cross-sectional as well as a prospective study using online questionnaires.

Results: Over 1500 medical students from 42 German faculties participated in the lecture series and the online survey. One hundred and twenty-two students formed a control group. Although considering the topic relevant, students rated their training in NM as insufficient, in terms of both quality and quantity. Initially, they did not feel able to counsel patients and rated their knowledge as low. However, self-ratings and the score in a 33-item multiple-choice test knowledge improved by participating in Eat This! as did their attitude towards nutrition and planetary health. No such changes were observed in the control group of 122 students not attending the course.

Conclusion: Our results show that education in NM at German medical schools is perceived insufficient despite high student interest. But even low-threshold educational options like "Eat This!" can improve students' perceived competence, knowledge, and attitudes, and thus be an efficient and cost-effective way to address related deficits.

Keywords: Climate change; Digital teaching; Medical students; Medical training; Nutrition knowledge; Nutritional medicine.

MeSH terms

Attitude
Cross-Sectional Studies
Curriculum*
Humans
Prospective Studies
Students*