Adherence to Canada's Food Guide among Pharmacy Students

Abstract

Background: Canada's Food Guide is a well-recognized tool used to optimize the diets of Canadians. Although community pharmacists are in an ideal position to educate their clients about healthy eating, it is not known if they are adequately prepared to do so. Methods: We developed a questionnaire to assess knowledge of and adherence to Canada's Food Guide among undergraduate pharmacy students at the University of Saskatchewan. Results: Of 354 registered pharmacy students, 291 completed the survey, for a response rate of 82.2%. Overall, knowledge of the Food Guide was poor. In almost every food group category, less than 50% of respondents could correctly identify the number of recommended daily servings for adults under 50 years of age. Self-reported adherence to the Food Guide was similarly poor. For instance, in the vegetables and fruit category, 86.5% (64/74) of males and 67.6% (140/207) of females failed to reach daily recommendations. Of the students who responded, the vast majority (93.4%; 254/272) believed that the Food Guide was a useful tool that pharmacists should be taught, and 65.4% (178/272) reported feeling comfortable advising adults about their general nutrition needs. Discussion: Pharmacy students appear unprepared to educate clients about recommendations in Canada's Food Guide, and their personal dietary habits fell far below recommendations. Conclusion: Clearly, more attention needs to be paid to general nutrition among pharmacy students, for both personal and professional reasons.