Improving best practices through nutrition education among Caribbean healthcare professionals

Diabetes and hypertension are among the leading causes of mortality and morbidity in the Caribbean with obesity being the major underlying factor. The Caribbean Food and Nutrition Institute (CFNI) developed a “Protocol for the Nutritional Management of Obesity, Diabetes and Hypertension in the Caribbean” whose main goal is to improve the standards of care in the region. A short training programme was developed on how to implement the Protocol. The successful implementation of the Protocol depended on the effectiveness of this training, thus an evaluation of the training was conducted. Two hundred and seventy nine (279) healthcare workers were trained in Jamaica, Guyana, Belize, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Suriname through a three-day workshop. Participants were given a short pre and post-knowledge test and completed an end of workshop evaluation. The results showed that in all the countries there was a positive shift in the knowledge and that most of the participants rated the content and quality of the training highly. Participants stated that the overall aim, structure and scope of the workshop were met and that they appreciated greatly the overall usefulness of the training. The improved knowledge of healthcare professionals is key to the successful implementation of the protocol and improved quality of care.