Facilitators and barriers to providing culinary nutrition, culinary medicine and behaviour change support: An online cross‐sectional survey of Australian health and education professionals

Background An Australia wide cross‐sectional online survey examined facilitators and barriers of health and education professionals to providing culinary nutrition (CN) and culinary medicine (CM) education and behaviour change support in usual practice, in addition to identifying continuing professional development (CPD) needs in this domain. Methods Survey items included socio‐demographic characteristics, cooking and food skills confidence, nutrition knowledge (PKB‐7), fruit and vegetable intake (FAVVA) and CPD needs. Data were summarised descriptively. Results Of 277 participants, 65% were likely/somewhat likely to participate in CN CPD. Mean (SD) cooking and food skill confidence scores were 73 (17.5) and 107.2 (24), out of 98 and 147, respectively. Mean PKB‐7 score was 3.7 (1.4), out of 7. Mean FAVVA score was 98 (29), out of 190. Conclusions Gaps in knowledge and limited time were the greatest modifiable barriers to providing CM/CN education and behaviour change support in practice. Health and education professionals are interested in CPD conducted by dietitians and culinary professionals to enhance their knowledge of CM/CN and behaviour change support. Facilitators and barriers to providing culinary nutrition, culinary medicine and behaviour change support: an online cross‐sectional survey of Australian health and education professionals Key points Poor knowledge is a barrier to providing education about nutrition, cooking and food skills and to providing support to others to improve food behaviour. Participants want to understand differences between special diets and ‘fad’ diets. Health and education professionals are interested in continuing professional development to enhance their knowledge of culinary nutrition education and behaviour change support.