Rationale: In this scoping review we aimed to identify and map available evidence concerning counseling strategies that contribute to effective dietary counseling. Dietary counseling, as component of dietary treatment, is important to empowerclients in achieving dietary treatment goals.Methods: Following the PRISMA SCR-Scoping Reviews Statement and Checklist, a systematic search in electronic databases (CINAHL, PsychInfo, Pubmed/Medline, Web of Science, SOC Index, Embase, and Psychology & Behavioral Sciences) was performed in March 2020. No date restriction for year of publication was applied to allow for inclusivity. Studies were included if they were peer-reviewed,quantitative and qualitative, had a primary analysis of empirical work,written in English or Dutch, and focused on dietary counseling in 1-on-1 consultations between dietitians and adult clients (≥18 years). Only studies which gave a description of the effective strategies of dietary counseling were included.Results: Analysis of recurring themes in the 28 included studies revealed seven core counseling strategies that effectively contribute to dietary counseling: 1) connecting to motivation, 2) tailoring the modality of dietary counseling, 3)providing recurring feedback, 4) using integrated dietetic support tools, 5) showing empathy, 6) including clients’ preferences, wishes, and expectations during decision-making, and 7) dietitians having high self-efficacy.Conclusion: Multiple counseling strategies contributing to effective dietary counseling have been identified and mapped. Insights from this scoping review provide a foundation for dietitians to effectively carry out dietary counseling. To work towards effective dietary counseling, further development of an integrated approach that includes combinations of strategies that form a unified whole is required.
Rationale: In this study, we aimed to explore how dietitians’ history-taking questions function during dietary counseling of clients with malnutrition (risk). Fruitful functioning of history-taking questions during the problem identification phase is crucial for dietitians to develop a client-centered dietary treatment plan.Methods: Using discursive psychology, we analyzed the problem identification phase of recorded dietitian-client conversations of 7 dietitians and 17 clients. Discursive psychology is a qualitative, inductive methodology that is used to analyze real-life conversations. Discursive psychology focuses on how descriptions in talk (including wording, intonation, pauses, non-verbal behavior) accomplish actions such as presenting oneself in a particular way.Results: Our analysis shows how, in response to dietitians’ history-taking questions, clients repeatedly demonstrate that they have already made some effort to self-help. Typically, these history-taking questions presume some biopsychosocial factor as the cause of the dietary problems discussed. In response, clients show they already started to eat extra, closely monitored their body weight, and tried to eat despite having no appetite. In addition, clients account for the absence of efforts by claiming various kinds of inability, such as facing difficulties in preparing food for oneself or by questioning whether their underlying medical condition caused the diet-related problem in the first place.Conclusion: This study shows that history-taking questions not only elicit answers with factual information but also evoke clients’ self-presentations. Responses from dietitians show little attention to the relevance of these self-presentations,while clients treat self-help as a normative requirement to demonstrate they have done everything they can before they sought professional help. To optimize the problem identification phase, we suggest that in addition to conversationaltechniques dietitians could increase their attention to clients’ actions performed.
ObjectiveThe aim of this scoping review was to identify and map available evidence concerning counseling strategies that contribute to effective DC.MethodsFollowing the PRISMA SCR-Scoping Reviews Statement and Checklist, a systematic search in electronic databases was performed in March 2020.ResultsSynthesis of recurring themes in the 28 included studies revealed seven core counseling strategies that effectively contribute to DC: 1) connecting to motivation, 2) tailoring the modality of DC, 3) providing recurring feedback, 4) using integrated dietetic support tools, 5) showing empathy, 6) including clients’ preferences, wishes, and expectations during decision-making, and 7) dietitians having high self-efficacy.ConclusionsMultiple counseling strategies contributing to effective DC have been identified and mapped. The counseling strategies identified seem to interrelate, and their conceived interrelatedness reveals that strategies can both compliment or contrast each other. Therefore, advancing effective DC requires further development towards an integrated approach to DC that includes combinations of strategies that form a unified whole.Practical implicationsInsights from this scoping review provide a foundation for dietitians to effectively carry out DC and serve as a starting point to further work towards effective DC.
Along with the rapidly growing number of disabled people participating in competitive sports, there is an increased need for (para)medical support in disability sports. Disabled athletes experience differences in body composition, metabolism, training load and habitual activity patterns compared with non-disabled athletes. Moreover, it has been suggested that the well-recognized athlete triad, and low energy availability and low bone mineral density in particular, is even a greater challenge in disabled athletes. Therefore, it is not surprising that sport nutritionists of disabled athletes have expressed an urgency for increased knowledge and insights on the nutritional demands of this group. This project aims to investigate energy expenditure, dietary intake, body composition and bone health of disabled athletes, ultimately leading to nutritional guidelines that promote health and optimal sports performance for this unique population. For this purpose, we will conduct a series of studies and implementation activities that are inter-related and build on the latest insights from sports practice, technology and science. Our international consortium is highly qualified to achieve this goal. It consists of knowledge institutes including world-leading experts in sport and nutrition research, complemented with practical insights from nutritionists working with disabled athletes and the involvement of athletes and teams through the Dutch and Norwegian Olympic committees. The international collaboration, which is a clear strength of this project, is not only focused on research, but also on the optimization of professional practice and educational activities. In this regard, the outcomes of this project will be directly available for practical use by the (para)medical staff working with disabled athletes, and will be extensively communicated to sport teams to ensure that the new insights are directly embedded into daily practice. The project outcomes will also be incorporated in educational activities for dietetics and sport and exercise students, thereby increasing knowledge of future practitioners.
