MNPV081p Psychology of Nutrition - lecture

Faculty of Medicine
spring 2027
Extent and Intensity
1/0/0. 2 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
In-person direct teaching
Teacher(s)
doc. PhDr. Miroslav Světlák, Ph.D. (lecturer)
MUDr. Rastislav Šumec, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Ing. Veronika Išová (assistant)
MVDr. Halina Matějová (assistant)
Ing. Kateřina Novohradská (assistant)
Blanka Suchá (assistant)
Guaranteed by
doc. PhDr. Miroslav Světlák, Ph.D.
Department of Public Health – Theoretical Departments – Faculty of Medicine
Contact Person: Blanka Suchá
Supplier department: Department of Public Health – Theoretical Departments – Faculty of Medicine
Prerequisites (in Czech)
MPOG071 Psychology
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Abstract

This course builds on the biomedical foundation of nutritional therapy studies and expands it by introducing psychological and communication concepts essential for working with patients and clients in clinical practice. It is based on the premise that professional knowledge of nutrition, metabolism, and treatment is not sufficient in itself unless the nutritional therapist is able to translate it into a conversation and therapeutic guidance that support understanding, cooperation, and behavior change.


The course introduces students to key theories and models of motivation, human behavior change, and therapeutic communication, particularly in the context of chronic illnesses, obesity, overweight, eating disorders, and other conditions in which long-term adherence to treatment is a crucial component of care. Emphasis is placed on motivational interviewing, working with ambivalence, goal setting, support for adherence, and understanding the psychological factors that influence decision-making and everyday health behavior.


In the course, students acquire basic concepts that can be clinically applied when conducting a nutritional consultation: how to work with the patient’s motivation, how to formulate recommendations so that they are acceptable and feasible, how to recognize barriers to change, and how to support the patient’s active involvement in treatment. The course thus logically connects the professional knowledge acquired in previous studies with the skills needed for direct contact with patients.


By the end of the course, graduates should be able to think about nutritional therapy not merely as the provision of information, but as a professionally guided process of behavior change in which psychological and communication skills are an integral part of high-quality care.

Learning outcomes

The student explains the role of behavior as a key determinant of health and illness and clarifies why education alone often does not lead to behavior change, known as the knowledge–behavior gap, using a specific clinical example.


The student describes the development of health behavior within the biopsychosocial model and explains how biological, psychological, and social factors jointly influence the patient’s eating behavior.


The student explains the role of self-concept and identity, the “self in context,” in behavior regulation and clarifies how these factors influence the patient’s motivation and capacity for change.


The student explains the basic principles of motivation, including Self-Determination Theory (SDT; theory of self-determination), and clarifies how autonomy, competence, and relatedness influence the quality of motivation for health behavior change.


The student explains the relationship between psychological needs, values, intention, and goals and clarifies how these processes influence the regulation of health behavior.


The student describes the influence of emotions, stress, and allostatic load on eating behavior and explains their role in behavior regulation across the lifespan.


The student explains the principles of habit formation and the difference between automatic and controlled behavior, including dual-process models, and clarifies the role of environment and context, including behavioral economics, in patient decision-making.


The student explains the principles of mindfulness and mindful eating and clarifies their role in the regulation of food intake and awareness of behavior.


The student explains the paradoxical theory of change and the principles of acceptance-based approaches, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and clarifies their relevance for behavior change.


The student explains the concept of psychological flexibility and positive affect and clarifies their significance for long-term sustainable behavior change.


The student describes the Transtheoretical Model of change and the processes of change and explains their significance for understanding the dynamics of behavior change in the patient.


The student explains the principles of self-regulation, self-efficacy, and self-monitoring and clarifies their role in the process of lifestyle change.


The student explains the principles of habit building, reinforcement, and gradual behavior change and clarifies their significance for maintaining change.


The student explains the mechanism of relapse and the principles of relapse prevention and clarifies the role of the social environment in long-term behavior change.


The student explains the principles of motivational interviewing and clarifies its role as an evidence-based approach to supporting behavior change.


The student describes the role of the healthcare professional as a facilitator of behavior change and clarifies the difference between education and support for behavioral change.


The student explains the principles of digital interventions, eHealth, and behavioral design and clarifies their use in supporting behavior change.


The student integrates knowledge from behavioral psychology and behavior change theory and applies it when reasoning about patient guidance in nutritional care.

Key topics
  • Behavior as a key determinant of health and illness in clinical practice.

  • The limits of education in healthcare and the knowledge–behavior gap in the patient’s clinical decision-making.

  • The biopsychosocial model of the development of health behavior in clinical situations.

  • Self-concept, identity, and the concept of the self in context in the regulation of eating behavior.

  • Motivational processes in patient behavior and the basic principles of behavior regulation.

  • Self-Determination Theory (SDT; teorie sebedeterminace): autonomy, competence, and relatedness in supporting change.

  • The relationship between psychological needs, values, intention, and goals in the regulation of health behavior.

  • Emotions and behavior regulation, emotional eating, and models of emotion regulation.

  • Stress, allostatic load, and developmental factors in the regulation of eating behavior.

  • Habit formation and dual-process models: automatic and controlled behavior in eating.

  • Behavioral economics and the influence of the environment, choice architecture and nudging, on patient choices.

  • Mindful eating and mindfulness-based approaches in the regulation of food intake.

  • The paradoxical theory of change and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT; terapie přijetí a odhodlání) in work with the patient.

  • Psychological flexibility and the role of positive affect in sustainable behavior change.

  • The Transtheoretical Model of Change, also known as Stages of Change, in clinical practice.

  • Processes of Change as mechanisms of behavioral change.

  • Self-regulation and self-efficacy in the context of lifestyle change.

  • Self-monitoring and behavioral self-regulation in nutritional intervention.

  • Habit reversal and the principles of gradual behavioral change, known as the small steps approach.

  • Reinforcement and positive affective processes in maintaining change.

  • Relapse and relapse prevention models in long-term behavior change.

  • Social Cognitive Theory and the influence of the social environment.

  • Motivational Interviewing as an evidence-based approach to behavior change.

  • The role of the healthcare professional as a facilitator of change within behavioral medicine.

  • Digital interventions, eHealth, and behavioral design in supporting behavior change.

  • Integration of psychological theories and models into nutritional care in clinical practice.

Study resources and literature
    required literature
  • SOUKUP, Jan. Motivační rozhovory v praxi. Vydání první. Praha: Portál, 2014, 150 stran. ISBN 9788026206071. info
  • MILLER, William R. and Stephen ROLLNICK. Motivační rozhovory : příprava lidí ke změně závislého chování. Edited by Petra Winnette. 1. vyd. v českém jazyce. Tišnov: Sdružení SCAN, 2003, xviii, 311. ISBN 8086620093. info
  • CLEAR, James. Atomové návyky : jak si budovat dobré návyky a zbavovat se těch špatných. Translated by Aleš Drobek. Vydání první. V Brně: Jan Melvil Publishing, 2020, 288 stran. ISBN 9788075550972. URL info
  • Michaelsen, M. M., & Esch, T. (2021). Motivation and reward mechanisms in health behavior change processes. Brain Research, 1757, Article 147309. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brainres.2021.147309.
  • Van Cappellen, P., Rice, E. L., Catalino, L. I., & Fredrickson, B. L. (2018). Positive affective processes underlie positive health behaviour change. Psychology & Health, 33(1), 77–97. https://doi.org/10.1080/08870446.2017.1320798
  • Michie, S. et al. (2013). The behavior change technique taxonomy (v1) of 93 hierarchically clustered techniques: Building an international consensus for the reporting of behavior change interventions. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 46(1), 81–95.
  • Prochaska, J. O., Norcross, J. C., & Saul, S. F. (2019). Generating psychotherapy breakthroughs: Transtheoretical strategies from population health psychology. American Psychologist. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000568
Approaches, practices, and methods used in teaching

Teaching is designed as an interactive and skills-oriented process that combines elements of lectures, seminars, and practical exercises. Individual sessions are structured as a recurring cycle in which a theoretical concept is first introduced, then applied to specific situations, such as case vignettes, model patient scenarios, or proposals for preventive interventions, and subsequently reflected upon and cognitively reframed. In this way, teaching systematically connects theory with practice and enables students to continuously verify and deepen their understanding.


Emphasis is placed on the active involvement of students, particularly through group work, discussions, case analysis, and role play, which develop communication and relational skills. Reflection on personal experience and the provision of feedback are also integral parts of the course. This approach corresponds to current recommendations according to which communication in medicine is a practical skill that must be developed through training, observation, and reflection on real or simulated interactions.


Teaching may also include homework assignments focused primarily on reflection, such as analysis of one’s own communication experience or preparation of a case vignette. The aim is for students not only to understand theoretical concepts, but also to be able to apply them in practice, reflect on their own actions, and gradually develop professional competencies applicable in clinical work.

Method of verifying learning outcomes and course completion requirements

Assessment in the course takes the form of a final oral examination, the aim of which is to assess not only students’ understanding of key theoretical concepts, but above all their ability to apply them in clinical reasoning and in work with clients.


During the examination, the student draws a pair of thematically connected questions, one theoretical and one practical. The theoretical question focuses on concepts underlying motivation and behavior change, such as models of change, principles of motivational interviewing, and the biopsychosocial approach. The practical question is based on a case vignette or model situation and assesses the student’s ability to use these concepts in a specific clinical context, for example by analyzing predisposing, precipitating, and perpetuating factors, proposing a way of conducting the consultation, working with ambivalence, or suggesting further steps, including the involvement of other professionals.


Each examination topic has a predefined assessment checklist that clearly specifies the expected knowledge, skills, and level of understanding. This checklist serves as a transparent assessment framework: the student knows what they are expected to demonstrate, and the examiner has a clear basis for an objective evaluation of the student’s performance.


Assessment is based on the extent to which the individual criteria are fulfilled.


At level A, the student demonstrates comprehensive understanding, is able to think independently and in a structured way, connects theory with practice, and applies concepts appropriately to clinical situations.


At levels B–C, the student demonstrates good understanding and a basic ability to apply concepts, but with a lower degree of integration or depth.


At levels D–E, the student demonstrates limited understanding, tends mainly to reproduce partial knowledge, and their ability to apply concepts is partial or uncertain.


Emphasis is not placed on the mechanical reproduction of information, but on the ability to reason clinically, connect individual concepts, and use them meaningfully in the context of the work of a nutritional therapist. The assessment therefore directly reflects the aims of the course: to prepare students for real situations in which it is necessary not only to know, but above all to understand and act.

Alternate completion

This course cannot be completed in an alternative format.


Teaching is based on the continuous integration of theoretical instruction and its collaborative elaboration within seminars, which constitute an integral part of the course. Understanding of the topics covered develops gradually within the teaching blocks through discussion, work with model situations, and shared interpretation.


Given this mode of teaching, individual parts of the course cannot be replaced by self-study or by a one-time make-up assignment. A substantial part of the learning process takes place directly through interaction during class and cannot be fully reproduced in another form.


In justified cases, students may consult their individual situation with the teacher. However, an alternative form of completing the course as a whole is not possible.

Language of instruction
Czech
Teacher's information

Teaching in this course is designed as an integrated whole in which theoretical and practical components are continuously interconnected. Although the course is formally divided into lectures and seminars in the system, in actual teaching these formats follow one another directly and cannot be meaningfully separated. Each session includes both theoretical explanation and its immediate application through discussion, work with case vignettes, or skills practice.

For this reason, 100% attendance is required, as it is essential for achieving the learning outcomes, particularly in the areas of practical skills and clinical reasoning.

In justified cases, alternative completion may be arranged on the basis of an individual agreement with the teacher. This may take the form of a seminar paper, case analysis, or another individual assignment corresponding to the nature of the missed teaching. The aim of alternative completion is always to ensure that the student achieves the required competencies despite their absence.

Study support
https://is.muni.cz/auth/el/med/jaro2027/MNPV081p/index.qwarp?mode=edit Studijní opora předmětu je realizována formou interaktivní osnovy v informačním systému. Interaktivní osnova slouží jako průvodce studiem a obsahuje strukturované tematické celky odpovídající jednotlivým cvičením a dílčím přednáškám v jejich rámci. Ke každému tématu jsou přiřazeny klíčové koncepty, studijní materiály a doporučené zdroje. Každý tematický celek je dále opatřen vlastní osnovou, která vymezuje obsah dané výuky, její návaznost na předchozí přednášky a cvičení a zároveň ukazuje, jak dané téma připravuje studující na další části předmětu. Studující tak získávají přehled o logice a kontinuitě výuky napříč celým kurzem. Součástí každého tematického celku jsou jak vstupní texty určené k přípravě před výukou, tak integrační a rozšiřující materiály, které podporují prohloubení a propojení získaných poznatků po absolvování přednášky. Studijní opora tak umožňuje postupný přechod od základního porozumění k hlubší integraci učiva. Interaktivní osnova zároveň obsahuje přehled klíčových znalostí a dovedností pro jednotlivá témata ve formě přehledného checklistu, který umožňuje studujícím průběžně sledovat vlastní pokrok a reflektovat, do jaké míry si osvojili očekávané výstupy z učení. Opora dále podporuje aktivní práci studujících s obsahem prostřednictvím otázek a úkolů zaměřených na porozumění, aplikaci a interpretaci probíraných konceptů.
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
The course is taught every week.
Listed among pre-requisites of other courses
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2011, Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, Spring 2018, spring 2019, spring 2020, spring 2021, spring 2022, spring 2023, spring 2024, spring 2025, spring 2026.
  • Enrolment Statistics (spring 2027, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/med/spring2027/MNPV081p