Nurse-Led Nutrition Education in Secondary Prevention of Stable Coronary Artery Disease: Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract Background Nutrition education is a key component of secondary prevention in patients with stable coronary artery disease (SCAD). Although clinical guidelines emphasise lifestyle counselling, limited attention has been paid to how nutrition education is organised and who delivers it in inpatient settings. Aim To describe current practices in nutrition education for patients with SCAD in inpatient care and to identify organisational and professional factors associated with nurse-led nutrition education. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 602 nurses working in inpatient cardiology, internal medicine, and cardiac surgery wards. The primary outcome was nurse-led nutrition education, defined as cases in which nurses were identified as the primary providers of nutrition education. Associations were analysed using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and logistic regression. Results Nurses were the most frequently reported providers of nutrition education. Among respondents, 36.4% reported that nurses always provided nutrition education, and 44.5% reported that nurses often provided it. The frequency of education differed significantly across professional groups (χ² = 37.16, p = 0.042; Cramer’s V = 0.25). Nurse-led nutrition education was more commonly reported in cardiology-focused wards and among nurses with greater professional experience. Limited time allocation for nutrition education was frequently reported across settings. In multivariable analysis, workplace context and professional experience were independently associated with nurse-led nutrition education, whereas hospital location was not. Conclusions Nurses play a central role in delivering nutrition education to patients with SCAD in inpatient care. The findings highlight that nurse-led nutrition education is strongly influenced by organisational conditions rather than individual characteristics alone, underscoring the need for institutional support to facilitate consistent implementation of guideline-based lifestyle counselling.