Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Canadian Dietitians Regarding Supporting Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.

Purpose: To investigate the knowledge, attitudes, practices, and perceptions of Canadian dietitians regarding supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs) in their practice.

Methods

A 25-question cross-sectional online survey was developed by the research team, reviewed by experts, mounted on Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap), and advertised to dietitians across Canada. Recruitment took place via email, social media, and e-newsletters. The survey was open in January-February 2024. Closed-ended responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and open-ended responses were analyzed using conventional content analysis.

Results

In total, 136 respondents met inclusion criteria; 80% reported they have supported patients/clients with IDD in their role as a dietitian, and 96% agreed dietitians can positively influence the health outcomes of people with IDD. Over 50% of respondents did not feel they had access to appropriate client/caregiver resources, nearly 75% of respondents denied receiving dietetic training in the nutrition care of patients/clients with IDD. Most respondents (∼70%) were interested in learning more about supporting people with IDD as dietitians.

Conclusions

Many respondents reported a gap in education, skills, and resources in this area. These findings can be used to improve dietetic training and inform future strategies to help reduce the shortcomings in health care experienced by people with IDD.