UzhNU scientists conducted focus interviews on teaching healthcare professionals the basics of healthy eating
In accordance with the implementation plan of the grant project ‘Teaching the basics of healthy eating in the training of healthcare professionals’, a focus interview was conducted to study the state of application of knowledge and practical skills in nutrition in the practical activities of healthcare professionals. The initiator of the focus interview was the Head of the Department of Medical and Biological Disciplines, Doctor of Biology, Professor Nadiia Boyko, who is the coordinator of the Ukrainian group of scientists in the above-mentioned grant project. The event was held on 14 February 2025 at the Department of Medical and Biological Disciplines of the Faculty of Dentistry of UzhNU. To achieve the goals of the focus interview, a focus group was created, consisting of 10 healthcare professionals, namely: specialists in medicine, pharmacy, physical therapy, nursing and a dietitian.
The meeting was moderated by the expert of the Ukrainian group of scientists' grant project, PhD in Biology, Associate Professor of the Department of Medical and Biological Disciplines Oleksandra Pallah, who asked the focus group participants questions to study the current level of nutrition knowledge of healthcare practitioners, whether they attach importance to nutrition knowledge and understanding in maintaining health and treating patients. In addition, participants were asked to list and discuss past experiences with patients requiring nutritional interventions and any ethical dilemmas they may have encountered.
During the discussion, each interviewee actively contributed to answering the questions. As noted by Mariana Durunda, a general practitioner of family medicine, in the course of her practice, she constantly pays attention to the culture of nutrition, as she notes an imbalance in the nutrition of her patients, and constantly conducts explanatory and motivational work on the principles of healthy eating.
Olha Rusanovs’ka, paediatrician, breastfeeding consultant, associate professor of the Department of Family Medicine and Outpatient Care, Uzhhorod National University, tells us about conducting classes with pregnant women to prepare them for feeding their future newborns, conducted by consultant doctors of the Ukrainian Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine, thereby emphasising the important role of nutrition and diet therapy knowledge in the practice of a paediatrician, not only for preventive but also for therapeutic purposes.
Dietitian Tatiana Batyn emphasises the dangers of eating ‘bare’ carbohydrates, and the deficiency of micro- and macronutrients that she sees in patients seeking help. Unfortunately, most patients are not aware of how to calculate the amount of protein, fat, fibre and other nutrients on their plate, meaning that they have an unbalanced diet, which can lead to anaemia and other diseases associated with malnutrition, especially in vegans.
Tatiana Kryvanych, a pharmacist and pharmacy manager with 25 years of experience, shared an interesting and important experience about the importance of involving a nutritionist in the postoperative treatment and rehabilitation of patients, which helped to ensure that the patient's recovery was quick and efficient. Tetiana Kryvanych also emphasises that even when prescribing medicines, a patient may ask questions, and you should have knowledge of nutrition to answer them.
Bohdana Brovdiy, a physical therapist, while restoring the functional and physical condition of her patients, notes the prevalence of overweight and obesity, which is a provoking factor in the progression of not only musculoskeletal diseases but also other systems and organs. At the same time, Bohdana Brovdiy ethically motivates her patients by applying her knowledge of nutrition and diet therapy to the culture of nutrition, explaining that normalising body weight and a balanced diet are the main factors in eliminating excessive stress on the joints and spine, which is the key to preventing the development of diseases and injuries of the musculoskeletal system.
Kateryna Zinovieva, a physician of physical and rehabilitation medicine, notes from her own practice that if a nutritionist needs to intervene in the treatment process of patients, she directly refers the patient to a dietitian for qualified advice.
Nursing specialists Tetiana Bohdan and Mariana Tovtyn note that while working in the inpatient department, patients often seek advice from a nurse during or after meals on the advisability of taking certain foods, on understanding the importance of certain ingredients in their diet, in order to successfully treat and prevent somatic diseases.
At the end of the meeting, Olena Dulo, PhD, Associate Professor of the Department of Surgical Dentistry and Clinical Disciplines, an observer of non-verbal communication, signals, body language and facial expressions in the focus group, an expert of the Ukrainian group of scientists' grant project, summed up the results, noting the high activity and involvement of all participants in the focus interview, the productivity and professionalism of the discussion, the depth and effective interaction during communication. I also noted that the nutritionist, for objective reasons, who has the relevant background in nutrition, was the dominant (key) participant, whose expertise and experience helped to better understand the state of the problem under discussion. Olena Dulo and Oleksandra Pallah thanked each interviewer, saying: ‘The opinion of each healthcare professional participant is relevant and important to us. We believe that the results of our interviews will be the basis for the successful implementation of the tasks set before us by our foreign partners in the framework of transnational cooperation and the implementation of the grant project.’
