Relationship of Nutritional Knowledge, Dietary Self Efficacy and Change of Dietary Behavior of Nutrition Professional

Kwon, Seon Young; Han, Jang Il; Chung, Young Jin

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship of nutritional knowledge, dietary self-efficacy and dietary behavior of nutritionist. Total 190 dieticians of middle and high schools in Daejeon metropolitan city (44.2%) and Chungnam area (55.8%) were surveyed by questionnaires. The change of dietary intakes was used as an index of dietary behavioral change, and dietary self-efficacy are categorized into 4 sub groups of general dietary habit, choice of food, environmental stimulus and emotional conditions. Overall nutritionl knowledge of school dieticians was relatively high as 80.3 score, but specific and detail knowledge about food and nutrition yet have to be strengthened. Dietary selfefficacy of 'choice of food' was the highest with 85.4 and self-efficacy of 'environmental stimulus' was the lowest with 69.7 in the subjects. There was no influence between nutrition knowledge and dietary self-efficacy of school dieticians. According to the level of dietary self-efficacy, the intake of desirable food showed no significant difference, but the intake of undesirable foods decreased as dietary self-efficacy increased (p < 0.001). In the analysis of correlation of change in intake of desirable and undesirable foods with nutrition knowledge and 4 different variables of dietary selfefficacy, a nutrition knowledge variable did not show any correlation with other variables. While, total dietary selfefficacy or each 4 sub items showed negative correlation with the intake of undesirable foods. And all 4 sub items of dietary self-efficacy could be the principal factors to constrain the intake of undesirable foods, but 2 items of dietary habits and emotional condition of 4 sub items are the factors to increase the intake of desirable food. Accordingly, it is suggested that dietary self-efficacy could be a powerful factor to induce the behavioral change of professional dieticians.