Nutrition and Diet Therapy (Theory)
Course No.:
BSN 8
Placement:
First Year
Total Hours:
50 Hours
Total Marks:
50 Marks
Course Description
This course is designed to provide comprehensive knowledge about nutrition and diet during health and illness. It explores the fundamentals of nutrients, their impact on the body, and the application of diet therapy in various conditions. Proper understanding of Nutrition and Diet Therapy is crucial for nursing students.
Course Objectives
At the end of the course the student will be able to:
- State the importance of nutrition in health.
- Describe the different nutrients required by the body including their sources and functions.
- Describe the features of deficiency of different nutrients and their prevention and management.
- Describe national nutrition programs in Nepal.
- State the nutritive values of common food items.
- Assist individuals and families in planning a meal according to the need of the family.
- Suggest the methods of preservation of food safety.
- Identify the effects of additives and chemicals in food.
- Describe the purpose and use of special diets in health and illness.
Syllabus Table of Contents
Quickly navigate to any unit in the Nutrition and Diet Therapy Syllabus using the links below.
Course Content Details
Unit 1: Introduction 2 hrs
- Meaning of food, nutrition and dietetics.
- Relationship of nutrition with health: Growth and development, prevention of malnutrition, maintenance of health and resistance to infections.
Unit 2: Nutrients 10 hrs
- Carbohydrate: Classification, chemical composition, digestion and absorption, functions, sources, requirement, deficiencies and excess.
- Fats: Classification, chemical composition, digestion and absorption, functions, sources, requirement, deficiency and excess.
- Protein: Classification, chemical composition, digestion and absorption, functions, sources, requirement, deficiency and excess.
- Vitamins: Characteristics, classification, chemical composition, digestion and absorption, functions, sources, requirement, deficiency and excess.
- Minerals: Functions, sources, requirement, deficiency and excess.
- Water: Functions, sources and deficiencies.
Unit 3: Nutritional Deficiency Conditions 9 hrs
(including their causes, signs and symptoms, prevention and management)
- Protein-energy malnutrition.
- Vitamin deficiencies: Vitamin A, B, C, D, E and K deficiency states.
- Mineral deficiencies: Iron, iodine and calcium deficiency states.
Unit 4: Nutritional Assessment 2 hrs
- Nutritional assessment of under 3 years children.
- Nutritional assessment of above 3 years children.
Unit 5: Nutritional Requirements and Programs 7 hrs
- Nutritional requirements during different life periods:
- Pregnancy and lactation.
- Infancy and childhood.
- Adolescence.
- Adulthood and Elderly adulthood periods.
- National programs on nutrition:
- Supplementation of iodine: Iodized salt.
- Vitamin A supplementation and treatment protocols.
- Iron prophylaxis.
- Growth monitoring.
- Deworming program.
Unit 6: Meal Planning and Preparation 12 hrs
- Food groups: Plant group (cereals, pulses, vegetables, fruits) and Animal group (egg, meat, ghee, milk).
- Nutritive value of common foods.
- Balanced diet: definition, purpose and components.
- Meal planning: Factors to be considered (Color, shape, texture, flavor, satiety value, socio-cultural preferences, personal preferences, availability, nutritive value, cost).
- Food fads.
- Meal patterns.
- Preparation of food: Purpose and methods (moist heating, dry heating, frying, pressure cooking, microwave cooking, solar cooking).
- Food serving: Preparation of patient and serving of meal.
- Preservation of nutritive value in food.
- Food enrichment and food fortification.
- Storage of food: Purpose and methods (cold storage, freezing, smoking, salting, canning, irradiation).
- Food safety: Food contamination, hygiene practices, pasteurization.
Unit 7: Special Diet 8 hrs
- Meaning and purpose of special diet.
- Types of special diet and their role in health: Full diet/ soft diet/ light diet/ liquid diet, High calorie/ low calorie diet, High protein/ low protein diet, Salt restricted/salt free diet, High residue/ low residue diet, Bland diet, Fat free diet.
- Special methods of feeding: tube feeding, IV infusion (review).
Also Read: Community Health Nursing Practicum (BSN 7)
Teaching and Evaluation
- Teaching Learning Methods: Lecture and discussion, demonstration, project work on balanced diet, display of food types and their nutritive values, food exhibition, observation of hospital dietary department.
- Internal Assessment: Project work and written test.
- Final Examination: Written examination.
References
- Adhikari, R. K. (1993). Nutrition and Health (Nepali Version). Kathmandu: HLMC.
- Adhikari, R. K. & Krantz, M.E. (2001). Child Nutrition and Health. Kathmandu: HLMC.
- Antia, F. P., & Abraham, P. (1998). Clinical Dietetics and Nutrition. Calcutta: Oxford University Press.
- Bamji, M. S., Rao, N. P., & Reddy, V. (1998). Textbook of Human Nutrition. New Delhi: Oxford & IBH Publishing Co.
- Gibney, M., Michael, J., Macdonald, I. A. and Roche, H. M. (2004). Nutrition and Metabolism. UK: Blackwell Science.
- Gibney, M., Vorster, H and Kok, F. J. (2002). Introduction to Human Nutrition. Australia: Blackwell Science.
- Gopalan, C., Sastri, B. V. R. & Balasubramanian, S. C. (1999) Nutritive Value of Indian Foods. Hyderabad: National Institute of Nutrition.
- Indrani, T. K. (2003). Nursing Manual of Nutrition and Therapeutic Diet. New Delhi: Jaypee Brothers.
- Joshi, S. A. (1999). Nutrition and Dietetics. Now Delhi: Tata McGraw-Hill Publishing Co.
- King. F. S., & Burgess, A. (2000). Nutrition for Developing Countries. New York: Oxford University Press.
- Park. K. (2005). Textbook of Preventive and Social Medicine. Jabalpur: Banarsidas Bhanot.
- Shrilakshmi, B. (2004). Nutrition Science. Now Delhi: New Age International.
- Swaminathan, M. (1997). Handbook of Food and Nutrition. Bangalore: The Bangalore Printing and Publishing Co.
- Swaminathan, M. (1997). Principles of Nutrition and Dietetics. Bangalore: The Bangalore Printing and Publishing Co.