Introduction: Whilst it is important for nutritionists to hold competencies to counsel regarding suitable dietary guidelines and to adapt these guidelines to the different health needs of users, families and community;1 other health professionals may also have ownership of nutritional management, disseminating these guidelines. However, there is a lack of clarity regarding: how evidence-based nutritional management has been implemented in primary health care settings? Which health professionals are more involved in the use of evidence-based nutritional management? What are the barriers or facilitators in the use of evidence-based nutritional management?
Objective: To map and categorize systematically the wide variety of interventions and programs that may fall under the umbrella term ‘evidence-based nutritional management in primary health care’.
Method: The scoping review will consider studies about implementation of practices related to food and nutrition, with regard to dietary recommendations and / or nutritional counseling within the context of evidence-based practice (evidence-based nutritional management), with a focus in of primary health care. It will also include studies involving healthcare practitioners working in primary health care settings, regardless of education level. This review will not consider: studies that do not include the implementation of practices involving nutritional management (dietary recommendations and / or nutritional counseling); studies concerning dietary recommendations and / or nutritional counselling not referred to evidence-based practice; studies that present only preceding steps of nutritional management (such as nutritional assessment); studies that only point out dietary recommendations and / or nutritional counselling to be followed for the prevention or treatment of a particular pathology and; studies that bring only opinions about the importance of evidence-based nutritional management. Sources of information will include original research articles (using any methodology) and review articles. Search strategy will follow the three-step process recommended by Joanna Briggs Institute,2 in order to identify published primary studies as well as reviews. The study selection process will be carried out by three reviewers and will consist of applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria in all titles and abstracts. The charting of findings will generate a descriptive summary of the results that corresponds to the aims and research questions of the scoping review.3 A narrative summary will accompany the tabulated and/or charted results and describe how the results relate to the review objective and questions.
Expected impact: The development of this scoping review will provide a better understanding of how evidence-based nutritional management has been implemented by healthcare professionals in primary health care settings, especially on matter of barriers and facilitators for implementing evidence-based nutritional management.