Rapid assessment of nutrition services in Los Angeles substance use disorder treatment centers

The primary aim of this 2019 cross-sectional descriptive study was to uncover the prevalence of nutritional services and the utilization of registered dietitian nutritionists at substance use disorder treatment centers in Los Angeles. Wiss and his colleagues (2019) firstly identified 128 facilities that listed substance abuse as their primary focus of care by taking advantage of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Treatment Services Locator. The facilities within a 25-mile radius of the Los Angeles metropolitan area were asked what type of services they offered, the credentials of the professional providing the services, and whether any kind of nutrition services were available, all through a phone interview. The data collected revealed that only 39 sites (30.5%) offered any type of nutrition services on site, and the odds of a residential level of care offering nutrition services was 2.7 times higher than outpatient only facilities (p = 0.02). Moreover, less than 7% of the 39 facilities utilized the services of a dietician, while only 8 (20.5%) called for the services of a registered dietician nutritionist. The authors suggested including dietitian nutritionists in the treatment team of recovery programs designed to help with substance use disorder since it may lead to improved clinical outcomes. [NPID: substance use, addiction, drugs, Los Angeles, recovery]

Year: 2019

Reference: Wiss, D. A., Schellenberger, M., & Prelip, M. L. (2019). Rapid Assessment of Nutrition Services in Los Angeles Substance Use Disorder Treatment Centers. Journal of community health, 44(1), 88–94. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-018-0557-2

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