Investigating Dietitians' Knowledge and Comfort in Supporting Muslim Clients and Communities Who Fast During Ramadan.

The purpose of this preliminary study was to explore Saskatchewan Registered Dietitians' perceived knowledge, comfort, and access to resources in supporting Muslims who choose to fast during Ramadan. An online anonymous survey was distributed to Saskatchewan dietitians from January 31 to February 22, 2022. Quantitative data analysis was employed using Microsoft Excel. A total of 93 dietitians completed the survey. Most participants understood that fasting involved abstaining from food and drink (90%, 80/90). Further, participants (71%, 65/92) reported they had never provided care during Ramadan to fasting Muslims, and some (55%, 48/88) felt they did not have access to nutrition guidelines to help Muslims choosing to fast during Ramadan. Yet, 97% (85/88) of participants believe understanding Ramadan is important to providing culturally safe care. Few registered dietitians in Saskatchewan had knowledge regarding Ramadan fasting practices. Some Saskatchewan dietitians may feel uncomfortable due to the limited experience reported providing care to Muslims during Ramadan. Future research should further investigate Canadian dietitians' knowledge, attitude, and practices providing culturally safe care to Muslims during Ramadan.