Knowledge, attitude, and practices of nutritional ssessments among small animal veterinarians in klang valley, Malaysia

Nutrition plays a vital role in small animals' overall health and well-being, and veterinarians are instrumental in ensuring optimal nutritional care for companion animals. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of small animal veterinarians in Klang Valley, Malaysia regarding nutrition and nutritional assessments. This study aimed to (i) assess the KAP of small animal veterinarians towards nutrition; (ii) determine if socio-demographic characteristics influence KAP; and (iii) examine the association between the level of KAP. The research design involved a cross-sectional survey, and data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire involving 50 respondents. Data was analysed using IBM SPSS
Statistic version 27.0, using linear regression analysis and Pearson’s correlation coefficients. The findings revealed that a majority of participants possessed a poor level of knowledge (n=23,46%), and moderate levels of attitude (n=32/50, 64%) and practices (n=26/50, 52%) toward
small animal nutrition. Age had the greatest impact on participants' knowledge (β = 0.277), while years of experience influenced attitude scores (β = 0.150), and qualification level was associated with participants' practice (β = 0.169). The study revealed significant positive correlations among Total Knowledge Scores (TKS), Total Attitude Scores (TAS), and Total Practice Scores (TPS), with medium-level relationships observed (p=0.002 for TKS and TAS, p=0.010 for TAS and TPS). The study highlights the importance of ongoing education and training in optimising nutritional care for small animals, emphasising the need for informed nutritional interventions in veterinary medicine.
Keywords: Nutrition; Small animal veterinarians; Klang Valley, Malaysia; Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices (KAP); Companion animals; Veterinary medicine; WSAVA Nutritional Assessment Guidelines; GNC Nutrition Toolkit