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Psychology students’ intention to use nutrition interventions in future practice
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Psychology students’ intention to use nutrition interventions in future practice

Johanna Bush, Christine Freer and Carrie Thomson-Casey
Australian psychologist, Vol.First online, pp.1-14
17/08/2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00050067.2026.2709350
Appears in  Recent Faculty of Health Publications
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Published (Version of record) Open CC BY V4.0

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Abstract

psychology nutrition mental health education nutritional psychiatry
Objective: Nutrition interventions (NIs) are gaining traction within mental healthcare, yet psychology training programs are yet to respond. Despite the absence of relevant guidelines, psychologists already incorporate NIs into practice, raising questions about how attitudes and training shape clinical intentions among the next generation of practitioners. Method: Drawing on Ajzen’s Theory of Planned Behaviour, an online cross-sectional survey was administered to 116 Australian tertiary psychology students to examine whether attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control predicted intention to use NIs in future practice, and whether engagement with formal or informal nutrition education moderated or mediated these relationships. Results: Attitude was the sole significant predictor of intention, accounting for 24% of variance. Formal nutrition education within psychology programs did not moderate the attitude–intention relationship, nor did informal nutrition information-seeking mediate it. Students with more favourable attitudes sought nutrition information more frequently from external sources. Conclusion: Positive attitudes towards NIs drive intention and information-seeking behaviour among psychology students, independent of the nutrition education they receive. Given students’ expressed preference for evidence-based learning formats, there is a case for embedding nutrition content within Australian psychology curricula and for professional bodies to develop relevant guidelines to support safe and competent clinical practice.

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