Promotion of physical activity by Canadian registered dietitians in daily practice

Background: Dietitians are in an opportunistic position to promote healthy eating and active living. The purpose of this study was to determine counselling strategies of dietitians 1year after attending a workshop designed to strengthen dietitians' self-efficacy for promoting physical activity (PA) as an adjunct to regular nutrition practice. Methods: A convenience sample of Registered Dietitians (RDs) in Alberta, Canada (n = 103) responded to an invitation via an electronic newsletter to complete a web-based survey that asked about counselling practices related to PA. Result: Thirty-seven workshop attendees (n = 37) were compared with a group of dietitians (n = 66) who completed the survey but who did not attend the workshop. Nearly all (91%) respondents reported promoting PA in daily practice. Those who attended the workshop were more likely to refer clients to PA professionals (χ² = 12.68, P < 0.05) than those who were not workshop attendees. Conclusion: Despite a relatively modest response rate, there were clear suggestions that RDs in Alberta, Canada promote PA in daily practice and attending a workshop designed to facilitate the use of specific tools and strategies for promoting PA in daily practice resulted in increased referral of their clients to exercise specialists.