Contribution of Australian cardiologists, general practitioners and dietitians to adult cardiac patients' dietary behavioural change

Aim: To investigate the use of behavioural change techniques by cardiologists, general practitioners and dietitians in adult cardiac patients within 12 months of their cardiac event. Method: Quantitative cross-sectional surveys. Frequency analyses were conducted on the respondents’ answers to questionnaire items. Chi-squared test of independence compared responses of the three professional groups on the questionnaire items. Analyses of variance were conducted to explore the impact of the independent variables: age, sex and time worked on the behavioural change techniques used by the respondents. Results: The respondents included 248 general practitioners (30% response), 189 cardiologists (47% response) and 180 dietitians (60% response). General practitioners and cardiologists acted mainly as advocates for dietary change in the dietary management process. Dietitians provided nutrition knowledge and a range of techniques to assist dietary behavioural change. Cardiologists and dietitians shared little nutrition information with general practitioners (cardiologists with general practitioners = 8%, dietitians with general practitioners = 49%). Conclusion: The present study shows that cardiac patients may have insufficient access to knowledge of nutrition and techniques to assist them with dietary behavioural change.