External Factors Influencing the Motivation and Performance of Staff in Their Nutritional Work With Adults With Intellectual Disabilities.
Helen K Røstad-Tollefsen, Benedicte Hagen Venås, Svein O Kolset and 3 others
PMID 39692027WHAT IT FOUND
Staff in care homes for adults with intellectual disabilities struggled with nutritional work because routines were unclear, training was limited to a few people, and they feared overriding residents' self-determination.
They asked for enforced guidelines and more time to support consistent, healthy eating.
Key findings
01Staff reported that a lack of clear, enforced nutritional guidelines and routines led to inconsistent practice and reduced motivation.
02Nutritional training was often restricted to designated 'nutrition contacts', leaving other staff without the skills to assess needs or refer for medical help.
03Staff experienced ethical dilemmas, often refraining from health-promoting actions due to fear of violating residents' right to self-determination.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they found
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What it does not show
The sample was small (11 staff) and drawn from a specific RCT, which may limit generalisability. The interviewer was a master's student in clinical dietetics, which may have influenced the depth of questioning or led to some issues being taken for granted. The study did not reach saturation through iterative sampling, as the group was predetermined.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflicts of interest. The study was funded by The Research Council of Norway.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that staff are unwilling to promote healthy eating. The findings show they are often blocked by a lack of clear guidelines, insufficient training, and fear of violating self-determination rights, rather than by a lack of motivation.