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Nutrients Aug 2019Personalised nutrition approaches provide healthy eating advice tailored to the nutritional needs of the individual[...].
Personalised nutrition approaches provide healthy eating advice tailored to the nutritional needs of the individual[...].
Topics: Behavior; Diet, Healthy; Feeding Behavior; Humans; Nutrition Therapy; Nutritional Requirements; Precision Medicine
PubMed: 31382527
DOI: 10.3390/nu11081793 -
Journal of Medical Education and... 2021Motivational interviewing (MI) aligns with the scope of practice and competency standards for Registered Dietitian Nutritionists; however, few dietitians receive...
BACKGROUND
Motivational interviewing (MI) aligns with the scope of practice and competency standards for Registered Dietitian Nutritionists; however, few dietitians receive adequate training. Furthermore, little is known about MI training within dietetics curricula.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study was to determine differences in undergraduate and graduate-level dietetics students' confidence and perceived competence before/after taking a MI course.
METHODS
A 38-item pre-postsurvey was completed by students enrolled in a Basic and Advanced MI course at Utah State University. The survey included demographic questions and questions related to confidence and perceived competence using MI techniques. Paired -tests were used to compare pre/post results and analysis of variance was used to compare groups.
RESULTS
Increased confidence and perceived competence were observed for Basic MI students (n = 72) ( < .0001) and Advanced MI students (n = 32) ( < .0001) after course completion. In the presurvey, Advanced MI students had higher confidence in 5 of 14 MI skills, higher competence in 2 of 11 MI skills, and higher overall MI competence scores ( = .008) than Basic MI students. Following completion of the course, Advanced MI students had higher overall MI confidence scores ( = .03).
CONCLUSIONS
Students' confidence and perceived competence with using MI increased after taking a college-level MI course. Incorporating MI courses into dietetics curricula may be an effective way to increase confidence and perceived competence of using MI techniques and therefore improving communication between dietitians and patients.
PubMed: 34734121
DOI: 10.1177/23821205211052418 -
Nutrients Apr 2022Nutrigenomics New Zealand (NuNZ) was a collaborative research programme built among three organisations-the University of Auckland, AgResearch Limited and Plant & Food... (Review)
Review
Nutrigenomics New Zealand (NuNZ) was a collaborative research programme built among three organisations-the University of Auckland, AgResearch Limited and Plant & Food Research. The programme ran for ten years, between 2004 and 2014, and was tasked with developing the then emerging field of nutrigenomics, investigating its applications to New Zealand, and potential benefits to the plant food and agricultural sectors. Since the beginning of the programme, nutrigenomics was divided into two fields-nutrigenetics and nutrigenomics. The first of these is now more commonly called personalised nutrition, and has recently been recognised and criticised by elements of the dietetics and management sector in New Zealand, who currently do not appear to fully appreciate the evolving nature of the field, and the differing validity of various companies offering the tests that form the basis of this personalisation. Various science laboratories are utilising "omics" sciences, including transcriptomics, metabolomics, proteomics and the comprehensive analysis of microbial communities such as the gut microbiota, in order to understand the mechanisms by which certain food products and/or diets relevant to New Zealand, confer a health benefit, and the nature of potential health claims that may be made on the basis of this information. In this article, we give a brief overview of the nutrigenomics landscape in New Zealand since the end of the NuNZ programme, with a particular focus on gastrointestinal health.
Topics: Dietetics; Metabolomics; New Zealand; Nutrigenomics; Nutritional Status
PubMed: 35565709
DOI: 10.3390/nu14091743 -
Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and... Nov 2022Professionalism is a vital aspect of health care and multidisciplinary teamwork. Although there is substantive professionalism literature in medicine and an expanding...
BACKGROUND
Professionalism is a vital aspect of health care and multidisciplinary teamwork. Although there is substantive professionalism literature in medicine and an expanding health care professions literature, there is a significant gap in understanding professionalism in dietetics. There are very few research papers in the dietetics literature on this issue compared with other health professions. Given the multidisciplinary nature of health care, it is important to understand what professionalism means within each profession to develop shared understandings across health care teams.
OBJECTIVE
The study aim was to explore how dietetics professionalism is conceptualized by dietetic practitioners/preceptors, faculty, and new graduates.
DESIGN
A constructionist exploratory qualitative interview study was conducted.
PARTICIPANTS/SETTING
One hundred participants (dietetics graduates, faculty, and practitioners/preceptors), associated with 17 universities across Australia and New Zealand and from diverse geographical and work settings, participated in 27 group and 24 individual interviews from March 2018 to June 2019.
STATISTICAL ANALYSES PERFORMED
Thematic framework analysis was used to examine participants' understandings of professionalism.
RESULTS
Twenty-three dimensions of dietetics professionalism were identified, with the most common being communication and including four novel dimensions of professionalism (generational, emotion management, cultural capability, and advocacy) not previously described in other professions. Professionalism as emotion management and generational adds new insights to the professionalism literature, expanding understandings of this vital aspect of health care. Although high levels of consistency in professionalism understandings existed across the three stakeholder groups, some interesting differences were found. The profession of dietetics shares similarities with other professions in the ways professionalism is conceptualized.
CONCLUSIONS
Using these dimensions of professionalism as a framework for teaching and learning about professionalism will help in clarifying expectations and expand shared understandings about professionalism for dietitians, other health professions, and across multidisciplinary teams.
Topics: Humans; Dietetics; Professionalism; Nutritionists; Qualitative Research; Faculty
PubMed: 35202846
DOI: 10.1016/j.jand.2022.02.010 -
Journal of Human Nutrition and... Feb 2022A suitably prepared and qualified nutrition and dietetics workforce is part of the solution to combating the burden of disease. Competency-based assessment is a key part... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
A suitably prepared and qualified nutrition and dietetics workforce is part of the solution to combating the burden of disease. Competency-based assessment is a key part of the education of future workforces. Although there has been recent attention on competency-based assessment in dietetics, there is little exploration of competency-based education for the preparation of nutritionists. The present study aimed to understand how competency-based assessment is implemented and evaluated in nutrition education.
METHODS
A systematic literature review was carried out according to PRISMA guidelines. Four databases were initially searched in February 2020 using key words related to competenc* in combination with nutrition or dietetic and their synonyms. An updated search was completed again in March 2021. Studies that met eligibility criteria where the focus was on nutrition and involved a method of competency-based assessment were synthesised narratively.
RESULTS
From a total of 6262 titles and abstracts, six studies on competency assessment in nutrition education were identified. The assessments focused on the development of key skills, including motivational interviewing and nutrition assessment, changes to knowledge and attitudes on food and culture, and self-perceived development of communication, collaboration, management, advocacy, scholarship and professional capabilities. No studies were found that assessed promotion of health and wellbeing or the food chain competencies.
CONCLUSIONS
The lack of research in competency-based assessment must be addressed to ensure we are effectively preparing future nutritionists for work such that they can impact health outcomes.
Topics: Counseling; Dietetics; Health Education; Humans; Nutrition Assessment; Nutritional Status; Nutritionists
PubMed: 34541713
DOI: 10.1111/jhn.12946 -
World Journal of Gastrointestinal... May 2021Radiation therapy is a long-established and essential modality in the treatment of many cancers. It is well known that tissue within a field of radiation can suffer... (Review)
Review
Radiation therapy is a long-established and essential modality in the treatment of many cancers. It is well known that tissue within a field of radiation can suffer indiscriminate effects, leading to acute and chronic problems. The gastrointestinal tract may be adversely affected by radiation. From the mouth to the rectum, patients can experience troublesome symptoms that require the concerted input of specialist teams. Interventions range from nursing care, dietetic optimization, pharmacological management, and mechanical procedures through endoscopy and surgery. Quality evidence exists mainly for radiation induced effects in four distinct areas of the gastrointestinal tract: oral mucosa, esophagus, small bowel, and rectum. This review explores the experiences of oncology and gastrointestinal teams in managing the most common conditions and some of the different practices for radiation associated morbidity.
PubMed: 34040701
DOI: 10.4251/wjgo.v13.i5.400 -
Nutrition & Dietetics: the Journal of... Jul 2021Dietitians must be statistically literate to effectively interpret the scientific literature underpinning the discipline. Despite this, no study has been conducted that... (Review)
Review
AIM
Dietitians must be statistically literate to effectively interpret the scientific literature underpinning the discipline. Despite this, no study has been conducted that objectively identifies common statistical methods and packages specific to current nutrition and dietetics literature. This study aimed to identify statistical methods and software frequently used in nutrition and dietetics research.
METHODS
A text mining approach using the bag-of-words method was applied to a random sample of articles obtained from all journals in the 'Nutrition and Dietetics' subject category within the SCImago Journal and Country Rank portal and published in 2018. A list of 229 statistical terms and 19 statistical software packages was developed to define the search terms to be mined. Statistical information from the methods section of included articles was extracted into Microsoft Excel (2016) for data cleaning. Statistical analyses were conducted in R (Version 3.6.0) and Microsoft Excel (2016).
RESULTS
Seven hundred and fifty-seven journal articles were included. Numerical descriptive statistics were the most common statistical method group, appearing in 83.2% of articles (n = 630). This was followed by specific hypothesis tests (68.8%, n = 521), general hypothesis concepts (58.4%, n = 442), regression (44.4%, n = 336), and ANOVA (30.8%, n = 233). IBM SPSS statistics was the most common statistical software package, reported in 41.7% of included articles.
CONCLUSION
These findings provide useful information for educators to evaluate current statistics curricula and develop short courses for continuing education. They may also act as a starting point for dietitians to educate themselves on typical statistical methods they may encounter.
Topics: Curriculum; Data Mining; Dietetics; Humans; Nutritionists; Software
PubMed: 34155748
DOI: 10.1111/1747-0080.12678 -
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 -
Progress in Lipid Research Jul 2023This review is about the role of arachidonic acid (ArA) in foetal and early growth and development. In 1975 and '76, we reported the preferential incorporation of ArA... (Review)
Review
This review is about the role of arachidonic acid (ArA) in foetal and early growth and development. In 1975 and '76, we reported the preferential incorporation of ArA into the developing brain of rat pups, its conservation as a principal component in the brains of 32 mammalian species and the high proportion delivered by the human placenta for foetal nutrition, compared to its parent linoleic acid (LA). ArA is quantitatively the principal acyl component of membrane lipids from foetal red cells, mononuclear cells, astrocytes, endothelium, and placenta. Functionally, we present evidence that ArA, but not DHA, relaxes the foetal mesenteric arteries. The placenta biomagnifies ArA, doubling the proportion of the maternal level in cord blood. The proportions of ArA and its allies (di-homo-gamma-linolenic acid (DGLA), adrenic acid and ω6 docosapentaenoic acid) are similar or higher than the total of ω3 fatty acids in human milk, maintaining the abundant supply to the developing infant. Despite the evidence of the importance of ArA, the European Food Standard Agency, in 2014 rejected the joint FAO and WHO recommendation on the inclusion of ArA in infant formula, although they recommended DHA. The almost universal dominance of ArA in the membrane phosphoglycerides during human organogenesis and prenatal growth suggests that the importance of ArA and its allies in reproductive biology needs to be re-evaluated urgently.
Topics: Pregnancy; Female; Humans; Animals; Rats; Arachidonic Acid; Docosahexaenoic Acids; Linoleic Acid; Infant Formula; Glycerophospholipids; Mammals
PubMed: 36746351
DOI: 10.1016/j.plipres.2023.101222 -
Anaesthesia Jun 2023Close liaison with ICU-trained dietitians and early initiation of nutrition is a fundamental principle of care of critically ill patients- this should be done while... (Review)
Review
Close liaison with ICU-trained dietitians and early initiation of nutrition is a fundamental principle of care of critically ill patients- this should be done while monitoring closely for refeeding syndrome. Enteral nutrition delivered by volumetric pumps should be used where possible, though parenteral nutrition should be started early in patients with high nutritional risk factors. Malnutrition and loss of muscle mass are common in patients who are admitted to ICUs and are prognostic for patient-centred outcomes including complications and mortality. Obesity is part of that story, and isocaloric and high-protein provision of nutrition is important in this group of patients who comprise a growing proportion of people treated. Assessing protein stores and appropriate dosing is, however, challenging in all groups of patients. It would be beneficial to develop strategies to reduce muscle wasting as well; various strategies including amino acid supplementation, ketogenic nutrition and exercise have been trialled, but the quality of data has been inadequate to address this phenomenon. Nutritional targets are rarely achieved in practice, and all ICUs should incorporate clear guidelines to help address this. These should include local nutritional and fasting guidelines and for the management of feed intolerance, early access to post-pyloric feeding and a multidisciplinary framework to support the importance of nutritional education.
Topics: Humans; Critical Illness; Nutritional Status; Malnutrition; Enteral Nutrition; Intensive Care Units; Critical Care
PubMed: 36644786
DOI: 10.1111/anae.15951