Nutrition knowledge of sports physical therapists

This descriptive study determined the nutrition knowledge of sports physical therapists. A Nutrition Knowledge Test was designed and mailed to 1000 members of the Sports Section of the American Physical Therapy Association. The 498 therapists who returned completed questionnaires achieved an overall mean knowledge score of 71.63%. Women scored significantly better than men; therapists in the 16+ years of experience and the 50+ years age groups scored less well. While there was a positive attitude toward nutrition, no correlation was found between attitude and nutrition knowledge. Thirty percent of the therapists reported receiving nutrition education in their physical therapy program. Thirty-two percent received nutrition information through continuing education. Those therapists with continuing education achieved significantly higher knowledge scores, particularly on the sports-related questions. The results of this study indicate that the nutrition knowledge of sports physical therapists can be increased with nutrition education provided through continuing education. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 1989;10(7):257-263.