Priorities of nutritional concepts assigned by health professionals and students.

Medical faculty, practicing physicians, medical students, and dietitians/nutritionists rated nutritional concepts as to their importance for inclusion in the medical school curricula and indicated the best method of accomplishing this. Ten concepts were rated "essential." They related to biochemical and physiological aspects of nutrition; nutrition in pregnancy, lactation, growth, development, maturity, and old age; nutritional management in disease; drug and diet interrelationships; and critiques of popular dietary regimens. Ranked as "important" were eight concepts regarding sources of nutrition information; evaluation of nutritional status; recommended dietary allowances; and food additives, naturally occurring food toxins, and nutrient composition of foods. Based on results of this study, the authors make recommendations regarding nutritional concepts that should be included in medical school curricula and how these concepts should be incorporated.