(P33-05-26) Evaluation of Nutritional Knowledge In a Cohort of Nursing Students in Arkansas

Objectives: The objective of this study was to assess the general nutrition knowledge among first- and second-year nursing students at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) and to determine whether there exist differences between the two groups. We hypothesized that second-year students would demonstrate a stronger comprehension of key areas of nutrition in comparison to their first-year peers.

Methods: We conducted a survey, distributed electronically via REDCap, using the General Nutrition Knowledge Questionnaire–Revised (GNKQR) to assess the nursing students’ general nutrition knowledge of first and second-year students in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. The GNKQR evaluates nutritional knowledge across four domains: dietary recommendations, food groups and nutrition, food choices and labeling, and diet-related health and weight management. A GNKQR score was calculated in total as well as across the four domains. Eligible participants were ≥18 y, enrolled in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program, and expressed a willingness to voluntarily complete the anonymous survey. The project was determined as not human subject research by the UAMS IRB. Student’s t-test in Microsoft Excel was used to assess the GNKQR scores.

Results: A total of 26 survey responses were received from the 160 students who were invited to participate in the survey. The respondents included 3 males and 23 females, between the ages of 18 and 54 y. Most of the respondents were White (n=18), followed by African American (n=4), Latino/Hispanic (n=2), Asian (n=1), and those with unknown race/ethnicity (n=1). The overall average GNKQR score among the survey respondents was 62%; first-year students’ average GNKQR score was 61.5% (n=6), while second-year students’ average GNKQR score was 62.1% (n=20). Notably, certain domain scores trended higher among the second-year students. However, none of these comparisons between first- and second-year students reached statistical significance.

Conclusions: The average nutritional knowledge among nursing students appears to be comparable to that of other nursing programs and exceeds that of the general public. However, second-year nursing students did not show higher nutrition knowledge scores in comparison to first-year students.

Funding Sources: No funding