Survey of nutrition knowledge of physicians in Kuwait

Objective: The objective of the present study was to determine whether nutrition knowledge differs between male and female physicians working in Kuwait City, Kuwait. Design: The study employed a cross-sectional analysis of physician's nutrition knowledge by using a sixteen-item multiple-choice questionnaire. Setting: Governmental hospitals in Kuwait City, Kuwait. Subjects: One hundred Kuwaiti physicians (fifty males; fifty females) working in Kuwait City, Kuwait. Results: A response rate of 73% was achieved (forty males; thirty-three females). The mean percentage of correctly answered questions was 60 %. The male and female physicians averaged 56% and 65% of correct responses, respectively (P=0.042). However, only for two questions did male and female physicians' scores differ significantly (P < 0.05). The two age groups (< 40 years; >= 40 years) had equal mean total correct scores (60 %, P=0.935). Physicians' knowledge was greatest for topics that have received a great deal of media coverage in Kuwait. Most (70 %) of the physicians described their nutrition knowledge as 'moderate'. Conclusions: Physicians in Kuwait gave inaccurate information regarding common problems in Kuwaitis such as obesity, hypertension and osteoporosis. In view of the public's perception of the role of the physician in providing nutrition advice, it is imperative that nutrition and diet training be part of continuing medical education to bridge these deficiencies in physicians' knowledge.