Needs analysis of learning objectives for a lifestyle medicine curriculum in family medicine residency program: an...

Lifestyle Medicine (LM) plays a critical role in the prevention, treatment, and even reversal of chronic diseases through evidence-based lifestyle interventions. Despite its importance, LM is not yet systematically embedded into family medicine residency training. Current approaches often focus narrowly on behavior change and lack an integrated curriculum framework. This study aimed to identify and reach expert consensus on the core learning objectives necessary for incorporating LM into family medicine specialty education in Turkey.

A two-round electronic modified Delphi (E-Delphi) method was employed to gather consensus from a multidisciplinary expert panel. Fifteen participants-including family medicine academicians, practicing physicians, residents, and professionals in medical education, nutrition, and sports medicine-evaluated 114 learning objectives developed by a steering committee through literature review. A 5-point Likert scale was used for scoring, with consensus defined as ≥ 80% agreement, a median score ≥ 4, and an interquartile range (IQR) ≤ 1.

In the first round, consensus was achieved for 107 objectives. In the second round, 96 learning objectives reached final consensus, covering eight core domains: introduction to LM, nutrition, physical activity, sleep health, stress management, substance use, sexual health, social relationships, and environmental exposures. Highest agreement was observed in nutrition and physical activity; objectives related to stress regulation, sleep assessment, and environmental policy received lower consensus, indicating areas needing further curricular clarification.

The findings provide a foundational framework for curriculum development and may guide international efforts to integrate LM into postgraduate medical education.