Evaluation of Moroccan doctors and nurses' nutritional knowledge with regard to functional colopathy, iron deficiency anemia, vitamin B12 deficiency, overweight, hyperuricemia and gout attacks

Background

Morocco is undergoing a health transition in the wake of 84% of deaths resulting from non-communicable diseases in 2022. Such deaths are often associated with a sedentary lifestyle and poor diet, including excessive consumption of carbohydrates, salt, and sugar, exceeding World Health Organization recommendations. The objective of this study is to assess the nutritional knowledge of doctors and nurses working in hospitals and primary health care centers in Morocco with regard to functional colopathy, iron deficiency anemia, vitamin B12 deficiency, overweight, hyperuricemia, or gout attack.

Materials and Methods

The study population consisted of 472 nurses and 185 physicians. A self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection, encompassing five main domains: irritable bowel syndrome, iron deficiency anemia, vitamin B12 deficiency, obesity, hyperuricemia, and gout. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS software version 21.0, the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test, the Mann–Whitney test, and Spearman's rank correlation. Multiple linear analysis was also performed.

Result

Among the five domains studied, the highest median scores for doctors were reported for nutrition in overweight people and iron deficiency anemia (0.33 (IQR [0.22; 0.44]) and 0.67 (IQR [0; 0.67] respectively). Among nurses, nutrition in overweight people had a median score of 0.11 (IQR [0; 0.22]), which was lower than the doctors' median scores. Our results did not reveal any statistically significant association between the median scores of nurses or of doctors and their gender (p=0.383). Such scores were significantly associated with basic training (p < 0.00), continuous training (p=0.002), receiving information on nutrition (p=0.018), and the age of the doctor or nurse (p = 0.016).

Conclusions

The study reveals gaps in nutrition training among physicians and nurses, particularly with regard to the management of irritable bowel syndrome, iron deficiency anemia, vitamin B12 deficiency, and obesity, hyperuricemia, and gout attacks. It is crucial to strengthen nutrition training in health programs in Morocco.