Perspectives and practices of dietitians with regards to social/mass media use during the transitions from face-to-face to telenutrition in the time of COVID-19: A cross-sectional survey in 10 Arab countries

Abstract

During the COVID-19 pandemic, most healthcare professionals switched from face-to-face clinical encounters to telehealth. This study sought to investigate the dietitians’ perceptions and practices toward the use of social/mass media platforms amid the transition from face-to-face to telenutrition in the time of COVID-19. This cross-sectional study involving a convenient sample of 2,542 dietitians (mean age = 31.7 ± 9.5; females: 88.2%) was launched in 10 Arab countries between November 2020 and January 2021. Data were collected using an online self-administrated questionnaire. Study findings showed that dietitians’ reliance on telenutrition increased by 11% during the pandemic, p = 0.001. Furthermore, 63.0% of them reported adopting telenutrition to cover consultation activities. Instagram was the platform that was most frequently used by 51.7% of dietitians. Dietitians shouldered new difficulties in dispelling nutrition myths during the pandemic (58.2% reported doing so vs. 51.4% pre-pandemic, p < 0.001). Compared to the pre-pandemic period, more dietitians perceived the importance of adopting tele nutrition’s clinical and non-clinical services (86.9% vs. 68.0%, p = 0.001), with 76.6% being confident in this practice. In addition, 90.0% of the participants received no support from their work facilities for social media usage. Following the COVID-19 outbreak, the majority of dietitians (80.0%) observed a rise in public interest in nutrition-related topics, particularly those pertaining to healthy eating habits (p = 0.001), healthy recipes (p = 0.001), nutrition and immunity (p = 0.001), and medical nutrition therapies (p = 0.012). Time constraint was the most prevalent barrier to offering telenutrition for nutrition care (32.1%), whereas leveraging a quick and easy information exchange was the most rewarding benefit for 69.3% of the dietitians. In conclusion, to ensure a consistent provision of nutrition care delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic, dietitians working in Arab countries adopted alternative telenutrition approaches through social/mass media.

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“…Dietitians and nutritionists are increasingly using digital platforms to provide personalized advice and track the progress of their clients. These tools can facilitate more frequent and flexible interactions between clients and their healthcare providers, enhancing the continuity and customization of nutritional counseling (209)(210)(211).…”

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“…Telehealthdelivered dietary interventions incorporating nutrition education and teleconsultations with dieticians (including nutritional assessment, management plans, and follow-up) have emerged as a new tool implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic as an alternative to in-person visits [27], and they have proven to be an effective approach to improve dietary behaviours among adults with chronic health conditions [28]. Apart from telehealthenabled nutritional interventions, highly accessible nutrition programs, including culturally appropriate dietary recommendations that are tailored for low economic resources and alternative telenutrition approaches through social/mass media, which surged during the COVID-19 pandemic, could assist in managing diet-related chronic diseases globally and serve as a support for developing a global strategy to combat the growing burden of chronic diseases [29].…”