Nutrition Communication for Health Professionals: Key concepts (edX)

If you are a doctor, nurse, or allied health professional looking to improve your knowledge of the role of nutrition communication in chronic disease prevention and management, this course is for you. We will arm you with the information and skills you need to effectively convey evidence-based brief nutrition messages to your patients.

You will learn the key concepts central to dietary patterns for prevention and management of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, how to talk about diet-related health, and identify the key features of healthy diets.
From the University of Newcastle team that brought you The Science of Weight Loss and Food for Kids, this course is an evidence-based approach to understanding the key role nutrition – and nutrition communication – plays in preventing and managing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
What you'll learn

• Identify modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease
• Define and identify diagnostic criteria for clinical markers relevant to nutrition management
• Identify the main dietary contributors to risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease
• Apply brief dietary assessment methods for identifying diet-related risk and how to interpret
• Identify nutrition advice appropriate for non-nutrition professionals to deliver
• Identify key features of brief interventions
• Recognise models used to identify barriers and facilitators to change, specific to type 2 diabetes and heart disease
• Demonstrate understanding of effective communication and counselling skills

Syllabus

Week 1: Nutrition, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease
Week 2: Brief interventions and assessing dietary intake
Week 3: Behaviour change counselling and communication