How does culinary medicine training impact the diet-related knowledge, skills and attitudes of undergraduate medical students in Germany?—A systematic review
摘要
Although nutrition competencies are essential for physicians, nutrition education is underrepresented in German medical schools. Culinary medicine (CM) training and teaching kitchens (TK) are emerging as innovative educational interventions to address this issue. This systematic review summarises the existing literature on teaching projects at German medical schools. Secondly, it provides an overview of the impact of various CM training approaches on the diet-related knowledge, skills and attitudes of German undergraduate medical students, and how participants evaluated the courses overall. The quality of the included studies is also assessed.
MethodsFrom October to December 2023, we conducted a systematic search of several databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Embase, for studies involving CM interventions and TK among German undergraduate medical students. A follow-up search was conducted from 25 July to 30 August 2025. We included studies that measured the impact of an interactive teaching on diet-related competencies. Two reviewers independently selected studies, extracted data and assessed study quality using MMERSQI. The various implementation forms and teaching formats were compiled in a descriptive manner. The results of the individual studies were weighted and presented in tables.
ResultsNine studies of six study sites met the inclusion criteria. All interventions were elective modules integrated into clinical education. All studies reported improvements in diet-related knowledge and/or more positive attitudes toward nutrition counselling in clinical practice. No adverse effects were reported. The range of courses on offer was rated as 'satisfactory' or 'very satisfactory' by students at all study sites. Study quality was moderate (range 42–70.5 out of 100; median 60).
ConclusionTraining in CM can effectively enhance the diet-related knowledge, skills and attitudes of German undergraduate medical students. Integrating a programme into the curriculum could provide future doctors with the necessary tools to combat diet-related diseases effectively.
Trial registrationPROSPERO registration number: CRD420251109133.