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Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and... Apr 2023The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic necessitated the use of distance education, which sparked a technological transformation that was long overdue in higher education.... (Review)
Review
The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic necessitated the use of distance education, which sparked a technological transformation that was long overdue in higher education. The purpose of this narrative review is two-fold: to summarize the state of knowledge regarding distance education in nutrition and dietetics education over the past 30 years to inform recommendations for future education/research and implications for practice and to determine the influence that distance education has had on the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of both nutrition and dietetics educators and their students. A narrative review of 822 publications yielded 25 that met the search criteria. In the scope of 30 years, the literature shows that attitudes and perceptions of distance education have changed as barriers to online access have diminished and the availability of online nutrition and dietetics courses and Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics-accredited distance education programs has expanded. However, whereas the limited results are promising, the paucity of large-sample research about the use of distance education in nutrition and dietetics education restricts educators' knowledge of and ability to evaluate the learning outcomes of distance programs and courses. Moreover, differences in how accreditors, government agencies, and institutions define distance education could have significant influence on funding and financial aid benefits for students and research. Recommendations for future research and implications for practice are provided given the relevance and importance of distance education to nutrition and dietetics education.
Topics: Humans; Dietetics; Education, Distance; COVID-19; Nutritional Status; Educational Status
PubMed: 36400387
DOI: 10.1016/j.jand.2022.11.006 -
Journal of Human Nutrition and... Dec 2023Dietitians (RDs) are well-positioned to promote sustainable food systems and diets. This research aims to review the literature for how RDs in Canada define... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Dietitians (RDs) are well-positioned to promote sustainable food systems and diets. This research aims to review the literature for how RDs in Canada define sustainability and determine the types of relevant activities that exist in practice as described in published literature.
METHODS
Using standardised scoping review methods, researchers searched CINAHL, ACASP, PubMed and ENVCOM databases to identify peer-reviewed articles and conducted a grey literature search to locate other publications related to sustainability in Canadian dietetic practice. Qualitative, thematic coding methods were used to examine definitions and existing practice. The PRISMA extension for scoping reviews guided reporting.
RESULTS
The search resulted in 1059 documents and, after screening, 11 peer-reviewed and 16 grey literature documents remained. Ten unique definitions were used, the most common being Sustainable Diets. Definitions were multidimensional, including environmental, social, economic and health dimensions, and 31 unique subtopics. However, existing practice activities appear to reduce actions to one to two dimensions. Existing practice areas well-reflected include Food and Nutrition Expertise, Management and Leadership, Food Provision and Population Health Promotion. Notable gaps include action in Professionalism and Ethics and Nutrition Care.
CONCLUSIONS
No single definition supports all professional contexts, and agency in choice of language to define the work is helpful for contextual clarity. Strengthening practitioners' ability to analyse issues using systems thinking and applying this in practice will help to address challenges and reduce risks of trade-offs. Updates to competency standards that reflect the breadth of existing activities, as well as curricular supports or practice standards, are needed.
Topics: Humans; Dietetics; Canada; Health Promotion; Food
PubMed: 37565587
DOI: 10.1111/jhn.13227 -
Nutrition Reviews Dec 2020The strengths and limitations of current approaches to clinical nutrition practice and their underpinning research are explored in this article. It describes how a...
The strengths and limitations of current approaches to clinical nutrition practice and their underpinning research are explored in this article. It describes how a personalized nutrition practice approach supported by evidence-based pathophysiological reasoning could direct additional research, which could then transform practice and support food industry developments. Current use of the term "personalized nutrition" is reviewed and a definition is provided. Also explored are current approaches to personalized nutrition practice and evidence-based practice in clinical nutrition. Patient-centered practice, which involves individuals in their healthcare decisions, is currently being provided under the name "personalized." An evidence-based personalized practice approach should include the use of robust, standardized, and validated tools that gather a patient's signs and symptoms, health history, family history, genetics, environment, lifestyle, social life, diet, behavior and other factors that have an impact on physiological processes. It should also gather anthropometric measures as well as functional, diagnostic, and prognostic biomarkers for pathophysiological mechanisms. Such tools would pool n = 1 data into a case-by-case evidence base that uses computational network modelling to predict the efficacy of personalized nutrition interventions. Prediction of the efficacy of interventions should also be validated using, when possible, blinded, randomized, controlled, stratified intervention studies. This model would provide practitioners with data that support evidence-based pathophysiological reasoning. It would enable clinicians to prioritize interventions on the basis of the mechanisms of action of interventions and to ameliorate the mechanisms of pathophysiology, which are a priority for the individual. Interventions then may be applied using a patient-centered practice approach. This would transform evidence-based nutrition practice into a P4 medicine approach that is personalized, preventive, predictive, and participatory. Developing pathophysiological mechanistic understanding also provides new opportunities for stakeholders, including the food industry, researchers, healthcare practitioners, and consumers.
Topics: Diet; Dietetics; Evidence-Based Practice; Humans; Life Style; Nutritional Status; Nutritionists; Precision Medicine
PubMed: 32289828
DOI: 10.1093/nutrit/nuaa012 -
Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and... Feb 2022
Topics: Academies and Institutes; Cultural Diversity; Dietetics; Health Services Accessibility; Humans; Social Inclusion
PubMed: 35065816
DOI: 10.1016/j.jand.2021.11.022 -
Nutrition & Dietetics: the Journal of... Sep 2022There is a paucity of comprehensive and current employment data for dietitians. It is unclear if, and where, dietetics graduates are being employed and if they are...
AIM
There is a paucity of comprehensive and current employment data for dietitians. It is unclear if, and where, dietetics graduates are being employed and if they are sufficiently prepared to meet workforce and community needs. The aim of this study was to identify employment outcomes for recent dietetics graduates from Australia and New Zealand at 4-6 months post degree completion.
METHODS
A cross-sectional survey was distributed to graduates from accredited dietetics degrees across Australian and New Zealand. Those who completed their university study in 2020 were eligible to participate. Descriptive statistics and frequencies were analysed and open text answers underwent summative content analysis.
RESULTS
A total of 294 usable survey responses were received from 631 eligible graduates (response rate 47%). Seventy-five percent of graduates were employed in any field and 60% were employed in a role that required their degree. The most common area of dietetics employment was private practice, followed by hospital practice. Most commonly, graduates who did not need their degree to get their job were employed in healthcare-related roles, or nutrition- and food-related roles.
CONCLUSIONS
These findings are important for curricula development to ensure that students are suitably prepared for available employment opportunities. Work-integrated learning experiences may need to shift focus to skill development, rather than a specific job role, to better prepare graduates for the jobs of the future. Further monitoring of employment outcomes is necessary to track changes over time.
Topics: Australia; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dietetics; Humans; New Zealand; Nutritionists
PubMed: 35503028
DOI: 10.1111/1747-0080.12739 -
Nutrition & Dietetics: the Journal of... Apr 2023Globally, sustainability and planetary health are emerging as areas of critical importance. In 2015, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was adopted by the... (Review)
Review
AIM
Globally, sustainability and planetary health are emerging as areas of critical importance. In 2015, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was adopted by the United Nations member states. Since then, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and the Commonwealth Secretariat have published guidelines for educators to embed sustainability content into curricula. This scoping review aims to identify how student dietitians learn about sustainability, how learning opportunities are evaluated, their outcomes, and whether these guidelines have translated into teaching activities contained in dietetic degrees.
METHODS
A scoping review was used to address the aims. Eight electronic databases and Google Scholar were searched from inception to March 2022 for articles describing dietetics students' participation in learning activities focused on sustainability. Data that addressed the research aims were charted independently by two researchers, then narratively synthesised.
RESULTS
Twelve articles met the inclusion criteria. A range of teaching approaches and evaluation methods were used, from passive learning in lectures to experiential learning activities. A change in knowledge or behaviour was found for experiential learning activities (n = 5). For articles published after 2015 (n = 9), two mentioned the Sustainable Development Goals and no articles referenced the published guidelines.
CONCLUSIONS
A paucity of evidence exists describing how dietetics students learn about sustainability and their learning outcomes. Of the 12 articles published, varied teaching approaches and evaluation methods have resulted in inconsistencies in the reporting of outcomes. The minimal reference to the Sustainable Development Goals and published guidelines suggests a slow translation of knowledge to practice.
Topics: Humans; Dietetics; Students; Learning; Problem-Based Learning; Nutritionists
PubMed: 36710069
DOI: 10.1111/1747-0080.12795 -
Nutrition Research (New York, N.Y.) Oct 2019A dietitian has qualifications in nutrition and dietetics and applies the science of food and nutrition to improve the health of individuals, groups, and communities.... (Review)
Review
A dietitian has qualifications in nutrition and dietetics and applies the science of food and nutrition to improve the health of individuals, groups, and communities. The Registered Dietitian (RD) credential has gained recognition over the years for its expertise. The accreditation systems were developed and have been used to ensure quality of this profession. Accreditation systems set standards for academic and professional training in nutrition and dietetics and reflect current research-based information. The purpose of this paper is to review a few countries that have a RD accreditation system including China and several other countries, e.g. the United States, Japan, and the United Kingdom. The aims are to introduce the newly established RD system in China and to compare the differences among the countries' systems.
Topics: Accreditation; China; Dietetics; History, 20th Century; Humans; Japan; Nutritionists; United Kingdom
PubMed: 30077351
DOI: 10.1016/j.nutres.2018.07.002 -
Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and... Apr 2022This monograph focuses on understanding statistical and clinical significance and is one in a research and statistics series published by the statistical team of the...
This monograph focuses on understanding statistical and clinical significance and is one in a research and statistics series published by the statistical team of the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The content covers the research questions, definition of clinical significance, hypothesis testing, P values, effect sizes, sample sizes, CIs, power analyses, minimal clinically important differences, and validity. This monograph concludes with a summary of the importance of clinical and statistical results for credentialed nutrition and dietetics practitioners to consider when assessing statistical and clinical significance. The assessment will help readers make subjective clinical judgments in the application of research findings based on their experience.
Topics: Academies and Institutes; Dietetics; Humans; Nutritional Status; Research Design; Sample Size
PubMed: 34728413
DOI: 10.1016/j.jand.2021.10.022 -
Nutrition & Dietetics: the Journal of... Sep 2022The aim of this scoping review was to provide an overview of the development of practice nurses, and the learnings that could be applied to improve the profile of... (Review)
Review
AIM
The aim of this scoping review was to provide an overview of the development of practice nurses, and the learnings that could be applied to improve the profile of dietetics practice in primary care.
METHODS
A scoping review synthesising peer-reviewed and other literature relevant to the development of Australian practice nurses was conducted. Structured searches using keywords 'general practice', 'nurse' and 'Australia' were conducted in PubMed and Google Scholar in June 2021. Key government websites, Department of Health and Services Australia, were searched to identify grey literature. One reviewer screened the titles and abstracts against inclusion criteria; two reviewers conducted full-text screening independently. Data on the evolution of practice nursing were extracted based on its interest and transferability to the dietetics workforce.
RESULTS
A total of 102 results (82 peer-reviewed and 20 other literature) were included in the review. Key drivers for practice nurse role development in Australia were government funding, practice nurse practice standards, cost-benefit analyses of practice nurses, career and education opportunities, general practitioner and patient perspectives of practice nurses and, individual, community and local needs.
CONCLUSIONS
The practice nurse role has grown and strengthened and there are three key learnings that could be translated to strengthen the dietetics workforce in primary care. (1) Use and expansion of government funding, (2) furthering post-tertiary education and career opportunities, including dietetic primary care practice standards and (3) targeting underserviced areas such as those that are rural and remote and building positive relationships with other stakeholders including practice nurses, general practitioners, patients and the broader primary care team.
Topics: Australia; Dietetics; Growth and Development; Humans; Nurse's Role; Workforce
PubMed: 35989542
DOI: 10.1111/1747-0080.12764 -
Journal of Human Nutrition and... Aug 2018The present study aimed to determine the eHealth readiness and changes over time of dietitians in Australia.
BACKGROUND
The present study aimed to determine the eHealth readiness and changes over time of dietitians in Australia.
METHODS
Two cross-sectional analyses of Australian dietitians were conducted in 2013 and 2016, using a survey adapted from one conducted in 2011 by the US Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The survey encompassed 30 questions on eHealth readiness across five dimensions: access, standards, attitude, aptitude and advocacy. Descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, chi-squared tests and Z-tests were computed to compare responses from the 2013 and 2016 surveys.
RESULTS
The survey completion rate represented 14.5% (747) of the Dietitians Association of Australia members in 2013 and 8% (417) in 2016. The survey responses in relation to access and standards suggest that dietitians are well positioned for eHealth. For attitude and aptitude, there is a moderate level of preparedness, with minor improvements over time. Although showing significant improvement (P < 0.05), advocacy highlights the area requiring the most development because the majority of dietitians (61%) reported 'no role' in eHealth solutions.
CONCLUSIONS
Dietitians are progressing in relation to access, attitudinal and aptitudinal readiness for eHealth, although they rate poorly with respect to advocacy readiness. It was concluded that dietitians are not yet ready, and also that valuable opportunities to achieve the benefits that eHealth can deliver will be missed, if dietitians do not take the lead in guiding the development, selection and implementation of nutrition-related technologies. Strengthening the dimension of advocacy and ensuring collaboration across the profession, drawing on the varying expertise demonstrated across the practice areas and by the different generations, will be central to improving dietitian eHealth readiness.
Topics: Adult; Aged; Aptitude; Attitude of Health Personnel; Australia; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dietetics; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Nutritionists; Surveys and Questionnaires; Telemedicine
PubMed: 29473238
DOI: 10.1111/jhn.12542