Adherence

Medical doctors' self-reported comfort levels and positive attitudes toward nutrition care are significantly correlated with their actual provision of nutrition counseling and referral rates.

For healthcare providers: Your confidence in discussing nutrition directly impacts whether you actually provide it. If you feel uncomfortable or unsure, you are less likely to counsel patients or refer them to specialists, even if you believe it is important. Building self-efficacy through training or simple referral protocols can bridge the gap between knowing nutrition is important and actually doing it.