Constructivist nutrition education improves dietary adherence and quality of life among healthcare professionals: A quasi-experimental study

Abstract

To evaluate the impact of a constructivist-based nutrition education intervention on Mediterranean Diet adherence, health-related quality of life, and depression, anxiety and stress among healthcare professionals in a high-stress clinical environment. Single-group, pre-test/post-test, quasi-experimental study. The study population comprised eligible healthcare professionals employed at a secondary-level public hospital in Türkiye meeting predefined inclusion criteria. A total of 69 healthcare professionals participated. An 8-week face-to-face nutrition education programme informed by constructivist learning and Mediterranean Diet principles was implemented, emphasising theory-to-practice applications. Data were collected using the Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener, WHOQOL-BREF (Turkish Version), and DASS-21. Post-intervention, mean Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener scores increased significantly from 7.42 ± 1.79 to 8.65 ± 1.70 (p < 0.05), and high adherence rose from 8.7% to 29.0%. Significant improvements were observed in physical health ( p < 0.001) and psychological health domains of health-related quality of life ( p < 0.001). However, no statistically significant changes were detected in depression, anxiety or stress scores ( p > 0.05). Baseline and post-intervention analyses revealed strong negative correlations between psychological distress and all health-related quality of life domains ( p < 0.013). TFindings suggest that an 8-week constructivist nutrition education programme was associated with improvements in Mediterranean Diet adherence and physical and psychological domains of health-related quality of life among healthcare professionals. No significant changes were observed in depression, anxiety or stress levels. Given the single-group design, larger controlled investigations are needed to confirm these associations.