Rapid Assessment of Nutrition Services in Los Angeles Substance Use Disorder Treatment
One of our research studies “Rapid Assessment of Nutrition Services in Los Angeles Substance Use Disorder Treatment Centers” was recently published in the Journal of Community Health.
We assessed the prevalence of nutrition services in Los Angeles treatment centers and found that is was quite low! The article offers some important ideas about the addiction crisis.
Much thanks to Maria Schellenberger and Dr. Michael Prelip for their assistance with this research.
Link to article: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10900-018-0557-2
Direct download HERE
Abstract
The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of nutrition services and utilization of registered dietitian nutritionists at substance use disorder treatment centers in Los Angeles. This cross-sectional descriptive study utilized phone interviews with facilities within a 25-mile radius of the Los Angeles metropolitan area using the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Treatment Services Locator to identify facilities that included a listing of substance abuse as primary focus of care (n=128). Facilities were asked if they offered any kind of nutrition services, the type of services that were offered, and the credential of the professional providing the services. We compared facilities that offered a residential level of care to those offering outpatient services only. The Fisher’s exact test was used to determine statistical significance. The study showed 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). Of the 39 facilities offering nutrition services, only 8 (20.5%) utilized a registered dietitian nutritionist. Overall fewer than 7% of the facilities utilized the services of a dietitian. Recovery programs for substance use disorder should consider using a registered dietitian nutritionist as a member of the treatment team, which may contribute to better clinical outcomes.