Examining the Promotion of Healthy Eating among Exercise Specialists: A Cross-sectional Study

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to survey exercise specialists about nutrition counselling practices, their own dietary practices, and to identify potential relationships. An electronic survey was used to examine characteristics and strategies used for assessing and promoting healthy eating to clients. Exercise specialists (n = 94) were recruited through a public registry and through targeted advertising on 2 professional websites in Alberta, Canada. Eighty-five percent of respondents promoted healthy eating to clients. Confidence in assessing and promoting healthy eating was moderate to low. Those with more than 6 years of professional experience reported higher confidence compared with those with less than 1 year of experience in assessing healthy eating (P < 0.05) and promoting healthy eating (P < 0.01). Confidence was higher among those with more professional experience but who did not meet Canada's Food Guide recommendations (P < 0.05). Professional experience, personal dietary practices, and confidence are important characteristics when considering the assessment and promotion of healthy eating by exercise specialists. Promoting collaborative relationships between registered dietitians and exercise specialists would likely benefit exercise specialists when they are assessing and promoting healthy eating among their clients.