Knowledge and determinants of plant-based diet adoption among healthcare providers in a Buddhist teaching hospital: a cross-sectional study.

backgroundPlant-based diets are associated with reduced cardiometabolic risk and lower systemic inflammation. Nurses, as the largest group of healthcare professionals, play a central role in health education; however, limited research has examined healthcare providers' own adoption of plant-based diets and related knowledge, particularly in Asian healthcare settings. This study addresses this gap by examining dietary patterns, plant-based diet knowledge, and associated occupational and health factors among healthcare providers in Taiwan.

methodsA cross-sectional study was conducted between February and July 2024 at a Buddhist teaching hospital in southern Taiwan. Using convenience sampling and self-administered, data was collected from 344 healthcare providers, exceeding the minimum sample size required for multivariable regression and proportionally representing major professional groups within the hospital. Knowledge of plant-based diets was the primary outcome, while white blood cell and monocyte count, commonly used clinical indicators of systemic inflammatory status, were examined as secondary outcomes. Multiple linear regression analyses were performed.

resultsParticipants included nurses (n = 175, 50.9%) and other healthcare professionals. Most followed an omnivorous diet (n = 281, 81.7%), while 18.3% (n = 63) adhered to a plant-based diet. Nurses demonstrated lower knowledge scores than other professionals (mean 5.7 vs. 6.4, p < .001). Only 38.4% answered more than half of the knowledge correctly, and 71.3% relied on non-professional information sources. Adherence to a plant-based diet was associated with lower white blood cell and monocyte counts, suggesting a more favorable inflammatory profile within clinically normal reference ranges. In regression analyses, higher knowledge scores were independently associated with plant-based diet adherence (β = 0.277), fixed daytime work schedules (β = -0.154), physician-confirmed diagnoses (β = 0.128), and access to non-professional information sources (β = -0.110) (all p < .05).

conclusionDespite frequent abnormal health check-up findings, adoption of plant-based diets and related knowledge were limited among nurses. This well-powered hospital-based study provides novel evidence from a Buddhist healthcare context and highlights the need for targeted nutrition education and supportive workplace strategies to strengthen nurses' health literacy and dietary counseling capacity.