Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Community Pharmacists About Nutrition and Lifestyle Medications and Counseling in the Aseer Region of Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study

TL;DR

This study explores how well community pharmacists in Saudi Arabia know and use nutrition and lifestyle advice for patients, finding that while they have good knowledge, they often don't follow up with patients.

Contribution

The study provides new insights into the KAP of community pharmacists in Saudi Arabia regarding lifestyle and nutritional counseling.

Findings

Pharmacists showed moderate knowledge, especially in BMI interpretation and drug-nutrient interactions.

Only 21% of pharmacists followed up with patients, and 40.9% used BMI evaluation during counseling.

Most pharmacists believed they could positively influence patients' food habits.

Abstract

Introduction: Community pharmacists possess a distinctive capability to provide lifestyle and nutrition counseling; however, their integration into public health systems in Saudi Arabia is still constrained.

Aim: The objective of this study was to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of community pharmacists in the Aseer region about lifestyle medications and nutritional counseling.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed, including 257 licensed community pharmacists utilizing a self-administered, structured questionnaire consisting of six items each on KAP. Descriptive statistics were employed to explore demographic characteristics and Likert-scale responses. Multivariable linear regression was conducted to determine predictors of attitude and practice scores.

Results: Participants exhibited moderate expertise, particularly excelling in BMI interpretation and drug-nutrient interactions, alongside generally positive attitudes; 174 respondents (67.7%) agreed that pharmacists can positively impact food habits. However, deficiencies in practice were noted where merely 54 (21.0%) indicated patient follow-up, and 105 (40.9%) regularly utilized BMI evaluation during counseling.

Conclusion: Although pharmacists demonstrate willingness and foundational knowledge to offer lifestyle counsel, actual implementation is constrained. Reforms in pharmacy education, ongoing training, and incorporation into national preventive healthcare initiatives are necessary. Empowering pharmacists is consistent with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030 to enhance public health and chronic illness management.