[Medical Rehabilitation Group Programmes Concerning Nutrition Training: Results of a National Survey]

To describe the current practice of nutritional group programmes, the need for further development and training needs of the nutritional teams in medical rehabilitation in Germany.

546 psychosomatic and somatic inpatient rehabilitation clinics were contacted. 192 clinics and 202 teams of nutritionists took part in the questionnaire survey.

In 89% of the clinics one nutritional team is responsible for all rehabilitation patients. Teams are responsible for an average of 3,4 indication groups (SD=2,4). They report group programms of M=4,9 performance units (SD=1,6). 56% of the group programmes (n=998; nutritional training group, seminar, lecture, unit of an educational programme) are applied across indications. 73% comprise only one unit, the duration is usually up to 60 minutes (93%). 76% of the groups have ≤ 15 participants, and 93% are at least partially manual-based. On average 5,8 topics (SD=1,5), 1,9 didactic methods (SD=0,8) and 1,9 materials (SD=0,9) are reported. In part, there are differences between programme units. The number of participants and the number of sessions showed significant correlations to didactic methods and materials. Programmes conducted in larger groups (>15 participants) or single sessions used more lectures, whereas programmes comprising less participants or several sessions used more interactive methods and materials. For further development, flexible combinable modules are seen as more helpful than completely manualised group concepts. Main concepts should focus on motivation and behaviour change in everyday life as well as healthy eating in different life situations. There is a high interest in advanced training (M=8,5; SD=2,2; maximum=10) with a preference for attendance-based seminars. Prefered contents are motivation, behaviour change in everyday life, and management of difficult group situations.

Current practice comprises a variety of nutritional group programmes with substantial heterogeneity between the nutritional teams. Therefore, separate modules which can be used for different programmes as well as trainings adressing particularly issues such as motivation and behaviour change in everyday life may be useful for further development and improvement.