Nutritional routines and attitudes among doctors and nurses in Scandinavia: a questionnaire based survey

Hospital malnutrition is prevalent, but nutritional practice in hospitals has a low priority. To improve the quality in nutritional routine, ESPEN has developed standards to improve the inadequate and insufficient nutritional treatments seen today. However, there is a discrepancy between the standards and clinical practice. This study was conducted to investigate nutritional practice in different hospital settings in relation to these standards (e.g.: screening of all patients, assessment of at-risk patients) among Scandinavian doctors and nurses.

A questionnaire about nutritional attitudes and routine was mailed to doctors and nurses in Denmark, Sweden and Norway.

Altogether, 4512 (1753 doctors, 2759 nurses) answered the questionnaire. Both screening and assessment of at-risk patients differ between the countries. Nutritional screening was more common in Denmark (40%), compared to Sweden (21%) and Norway (16%). Measuring dietary intake in nutritional at-risk patients was more common in Denmark (46%), compared to Sweden (37%) and Norway (22%). However, all countries agreed that nutritional screening (92%, 88%, 88%) and measuring dietary intake (97%, 95%, 97%) were important, Denmark, Sweden and Norway, respectively.

There is a large discrepancy between nutritional attitudes and practice. The standards suggested from the ESPEN are not fulfilled.