Bookari, KhloodArrish, Jamila M.Alkhalaf, Majid H.Alharbi, MudiZaher, Sara M.Alotaibi, HawazinTayyem, ReemaAl-Awwad, NarmeenQasrawi, RadwanAllehdan, SabikaAl Sabbah, HaleamaAlMajed, SanaAl Hinai, EimanKamel, ImanEl Ati, JalilaHarb, ZiadHoteit, Maha2023-10-162023-10-162023Bookari, K., Arrish, J., Alkhalaf, M. M., Alharbi, M. H., Zaher, S., Alotaibi, H. M., ... & Hoteit, M. (2023). Perspectives and practices of dietitians with regards to social/mass media use during the transitions from face-to-face to telenutrition in the time of COVID-19: A cross-sectional survey in 10 Arab countries. Frontiers in Public Health, 11, 1151648.2296-2565https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1151648https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12713/3980During the COVID-19 pandemic, most healthcare professionals switched from face-to-face clinical encounters to telehealth. This study sought to investigate the dietitians’ perceptions and practices toward the use of social/mass media platforms amid the transition from face-to-face to telenutrition in the time of COVID-19. This cross-sectional study involving a convenient sample of 2,542 dietitians (mean age?=?31.7?±?9.5; females: 88.2%) was launched in 10 Arab countries between November 2020 and January 2021. Data were collected using an online self-administrated questionnaire. Study findings showed that dietitians’ reliance on telenutrition increased by 11% during the pandemic, p?=?0.001. Furthermore, 63.0% of them reported adopting telenutrition to cover consultation activities. Instagram was the platform that was most frequently used by 51.7% of dietitians. Dietitians shouldered new difficulties in dispelling nutrition myths during the pandemic (58.2% reported doing so vs. 51.4% pre-pandemic, p?<?0.001). Compared to the pre-pandemic period, more dietitians perceived the importance of adopting tele nutrition’s clinical and non-clinical services (86.9% vs. 68.0%, p?=?0.001), with 76.6% being confident in this practice. In addition, 90.0% of the participants received no support from their work facilities for social media usage. Following the COVID-19 outbreak, the majority of dietitians (80.0%) observed a rise in public interest in nutrition-related topics, particularly those pertaining to healthy eating habits (p?=?0.001), healthy recipes (p?=?0.001), nutrition and immunity (p?=?0.001), and medical nutrition therapies (p?=?0.012). Time constraint was the most prevalent barrier to offering telenutrition for nutrition care (32.1%), whereas leveraging a quick and easy information exchange was the most rewarding benefit for 69.3% of the dietitians. In conclusion, to ensure a consistent provision of nutrition care delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic, dietitians working in Arab countries adopted alternative telenutrition approaches through social/mass media.eninfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessCOVID-19DietitiansSocial MediaMass MediaTelenutritionBarriersBenefitsArab CountriesArticle1137234764WOS:0009939520000012-s2.0-85160275146Q110.3389/fpubh.2023.1151648Q1