Physicians, preventive care, and applied nutrition: selected literature.

The authors review a core of 25 articles (dating from 1982 through 1991) regarding medical school curricula and physicians' knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to nutritional care, with a focus on prevention of coronary heart disease through cholesterol control. They supplement this review by discussing the relation of the core articles' results to those of additional articles, which focus more generally on physicians' health promotion and patient counseling. While there appear to be modest increases in attention to nutrition at various levels of medical training and some improvement in physicians' attitudes about dietary intervention, the authors conclude that both educational opportunities and physicians' practices warrant increased and more effective attention to nutrition. Finally, in light of recent trends and growing efforts to better prepare physicians to play a leading role in preventive care, the authors identify gaps in physicians' training and in research on physicians, preventive care, and applied nutrition.