Attitudes, behaviours, and self-reported confidence of Australian pharmacy students and interns towards nutritional counselling

Abstract

Introduction: Pharmacists play a prominent role in the counselling and education of patients complementary to provision of medicines. The increase in non-communicable diseases associated with poor quality diets has placed a greater demand on pharmacists to play a role in the provision of nutritional education to patients. This study aimed to investigate pharmacy students' and interns' attitudes, behaviours, and self-reported confidence towards nutritional counselling and to examine factors associated with their intention to counsel patients in nutrition.

Methods: An online survey was designed using the theory of planned behaviour and was distributed to final-year pharmacy students and interns enrolled at the University of Sydney. Data analysis was conducted to test for correlations between behavioural intentions, attitudes, confidence, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control.

Results: Sixty-six surveys were completed, representing an average response rate of 19.6%. Half of all participants reportedly were providing nutritional advice to patients at least once per week or more often when working in a pharmacy. Participants' intention to counsel patients about nutrition was influenced by preceptors' encouragement. The participants' average level of confidence in having the knowledge and skills to provide nutritional counselling, reported over 13 medical conditions, showed that they were on average "somewhat confident" in providing nutritional counselling, with the level of confidence differing depending upon the specific topic areas.

Conclusions: Participants acknowledged the role of pharmacists in the provision of nutritional counselling, but a more comprehensive nutrition curriculum integrated within existing pharmacy curricula is warranted to increase pharmacy students' and interns' confidence.

Keywords: Australia; Dietary advice; Nutritional counselling; Pharmacy students' attitudes; Pharmacy students' confidence; Vitamin and mineral supplements.