Literacy influences dietary outcomes, such as food label comprehension and portion size estimation skills. This study evaluated the relationship of literacy and diet quality among Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span study participants. Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span is a prospective study of socioeconomically diverse urban African Americans and whites. Diet quality was measured by the Healthy Eating Index-2010 on the basis of 2 recalls, and literacy, the Wide Range Achievement Test-3rd edition reading scores. An independent and synergistic association of literacy and education with diet quality was found, emphasizing the need to consider both variables when counseling clients about nutrition.

Participants will be able to describe focus group outcomes of SNAP participants who participated in a CSA program based on outcome data from two successive focus groups.

BACKGROUND:The British Dietetic Association and the International Confederation of Dietetic Associations are developing an international model for dietetics practice as an aid in providing evidence-based practice. In the USA, undergraduate programmes are mandated by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (formerly the American Dietetic Association) to incorporate the nutrition care process (NCP) into the curriculum so that students can use the process during their dietetic internship and later practice. The present study aimed to assess interns' readiness in the NCP prior to beginning a dietetic internship.METHODS:Before starting the internship, the 40 interns in the 2009-2010 class of a university-based internship were sent an e-mail requesting they complete an online survey. Questions inquired about their NCP background with respect to: academic preparation, work or volunteer experiences, knowledge and confidence in ability to apply the NCP. Survey results were analysed with SPSS statistical software (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA).RESULTS:The 39 interns completing the survey indicated they had prior exposure to the NCP. All but one reported that their academic coursework covered the NCP. Approximately half of the interns worked or volunteered in settings that used the NCP. Overall, students correctly answered most of the questions assessing their basic knowledge in the NCP. Thirty-seven of the 39 interns had some confidence or felt confident in their ability to apply the NCP during internship rotations.CONCLUSIONS:This distance internship attracts students from all over the USA, and so the findings of the present study shed light on current undergraduate preparation in the NCP.

To recognize schools as a site where food pantries can be implemented for at-risk families.

Identify the role of literacy independent of educational level in predicting diet quality.

Participants will be able to state the preparedness of interns before staring their internship.

Identify a) whether parents or children were responsible for making decisions about what foods to eat, when to eat, where foods were eaten and how much to eat for meals and snacks; b) selected child feeding practices; c) racial differences in feeding decisions; d) the impact of time and finances

To describe the evaluation components and midcourse outcomes of a 3-year health initiative for senior citizens.

This descriptive survey was undertaken to assess integration of genetics into undergraduate didactic dietetic education. The response rate was 35% (n=82) of all directors (N=232) of accredited or approved Didactic Programs in Dietetics. Although most directors (n=58 of 82) agreed that genetics is an important component of dietetics education, they expressed concerns about already-crowded curricula and lack of time, resources, and knowledge. Thirty-eight directors indicated that they had no familiarity with the core competencies in genetics for all health professionals. Genetics is included in some way in 69 of the 82 programs that responded. Courses in which genetics was most likely to be incorporated included nutrition, physiology, microbiology, and biochemistry. Only four directors reported a required course entirely devoted to genetics. Programs were most likely to meet the knowledge competency of the role of genetic factors in maintaining health and preventing disease and least likely to address the genetic counseling process and indications for referral to specialists. Applications of genetics in dietetics will continue to grow in importance. Evidence from this study indicates that current curricula provide little to no genetics content. Nutrition faculty must become more knowledgeable about genetics before being expected to increase genetics content in entry-level dietetics curricula.

A Healthy People 2010 objective is to improve the health literacy of persons with inadequate or marginal literacy skills. We designed a nutrition education module for dietetics students that allowed learning about health literacy while teaching this information to interested practitioners. Students designed a workshop for nutritionists by conducting a learning needs assessment and then developing learning objectives, content/methods, and process/outcome objectives. Students presented interactive sessions on using literacy assessment tools and developing low-literacy education materials. Handout packets included a list of relevant literacy Web sites. Evaluations unanimously rated the workshop as excellent or good. By helping teach others, students' learning experience was enhanced.

Since their inception in the 1960s, food banks have grown from rooms in church basements that provided canned food handouts to sophisticated nonprofit organizations. Many have multimillion dollar budgets and a variety of innovative programs to serve their target populations. Their mission however remains the same—eliminating hunger.

From the results of nutritional research amongst adolescents as well as experience in food and nutrition education, it is argued that the family meal, because of its culturally defined structural components, provides an excellent model for teaching healthy eating patterns to children, especially adolescents. The use of meal patterning in established nutrition education programs is reviewed and a case study is given of the process of adapting meal pattern information to a high-school nutrition education program. Possibilities for adapting nutrition education programs to meet educational goals in the future are explored and a plea is made to have more faith in teenagers’ relationship with food.

In September 1999, the format for the Registration Examination for Dietitians changed from a paper-and-pencil test to a computerized design. The purpose of this study was to determine how examinees reacted to the computerized exam experience. We surveyed 304 registered dietitians in Region VI states who had been eligible as of August 1, 1999, to earn this credential. The response rate was 61% (n = 185). Average time between completing the supervised practice program and taking the exam was 5.7 months. Most (n = 125) found the computerized format to be satisfactory even though 54.7% reported having anxiety about taking computerized exams. The major difficulties experienced by the examinees were scheduling problems and poor communication on the part of the testing centers. Exam takers need to be better informed about procedural issues, exam center environment, and the limitations of the testing centers.

The results of this study reveal two general areas of concern for clinical dietitians in the use of laboratory data--their lack of confidence in their own interpretive skills and the perceived resistance of physicians. Although clinical dietitians receive theoretical and applied training on the use of laboratory values in their undergraduate education and dietetic internship, clinical managers should be aware that they need support and continuing education to use their laboratory assessment skills to the fullest. Also, dietitians should demonstrate more clearly to physicians their knowledge, skill, and needs in this area. They should initiate and continue dialogue about the importance of laboratory analysis to nutrition care and improved patient outcome. Evidence-based data and clear documentation of improved medical outcomes should help overcome barriers to use of laboratory data by clinical dietitians.

The move to computer-based patient records has been underway since 1991 when the Institute of Medicine ( (1) Institute of Medicine. The Computer-Based Patient Record, an Essential Technology for Health Care. National Academy Press, Washington, DC1991 Google Scholar ) recommended adoption of this format as the standard for medical and all other records related to patient care. There is a body of literature about use of computer-based patient records by physicians and allied health professionals ( (2) Gabriel E.R Longitudinal electronic patient records a challenge of our time. Comput Nurs. 1997; 15: 548-552 Google Scholar , (3) Schumacher K Brodnik M Sachs L Schiller M.R Therapists’ anxiety and attitudes toward computerized documentation in the clinical setting. J Allied Health. 1997; 26: 151-158 Google Scholar , (4) Bradley V CPR computerized patient record. Jemerg Nurs. 1994; 20: 230-232 Google Scholar , (5) Detmer D.E Steen E.B The computer-based record patient moving from concept toward reality. Int J Bio-Med Comput. 1996; 42: 9-19 Google Scholar , (6) Khoury A Finding value in EMRs. Health Manage Technol. 1997; 18: 34-36 Google Scholar , (7) Dick R Andrew W The CPR an evaluative perspective. Healthcare-Informatics. 1996; 13: 104-108 Google Scholar , (8) Troll S Computerizing the clinical record. Br J Healthcare Comput Inform Manage. 1995; 12: 32-34 Google Scholar , (9) Hammond W.E Hales J.W Lobach D.F Straube M.J Integration of a computer-based patient record system into the primary care setting. Comput Nurs. 1997; 15: S61-S68 Google Scholar , (10) Wager K.A Ornstein S.M Jenkins R.G Perceived value of computer-based patient records among clinician users. MD Comput. 1997; 14: 334-340 Google Scholar ). However, the need for an electronic record format in the area of dietetics, and the experiences of dietitians who currently use this format, have been reported to a lesser extent ( (11) Grace-Farfaglia P Rosow P Automating clinical dietetics documentation. J Am Diet Assoc. 1995; 95: 687-690 Google Scholar , (12) Harrity M.R Johnson E.Q Documentation in the 21 st century the impact of health care reform. Top Clin Nutr. 1996; 11: 27-32 Google Scholar , (13) Russo P Goodman M.A Implementing computerized patient records a success story. J Am Diet Assoc. 1997; 97: 1104 Google Scholar , 14. Mayes T Gottschlich M.M Washam M Introduction of the computerized medical record improves nutrition services [abstract]. J Am Diet Assoc. 1998; 98: A39 Google Scholar ). In 1997, Biesemeier and Chima ( (15) Biesemeier C Chima C.S Computerized patient record are we prepared for our future practice?. J Am Diet Assoc. 1997; 97: 1099-1104 Google Scholar ) indicated that 15% of the dietitians they surveyed were documenting nutrition care in a computerized patient record. Technological, organizational, and behavioral barriers to the use of computer-based patient records by health professionals and solutions for overcoming these barriers have also been reported ( (16) Brodnik M.S Watson B An investigation of barriers to computer-based patient record implementation. Top Health Inform Manage. 1994; 15: 52-63 Google Scholar , (17) Bergerson B.P Can electronic medical records really achieve information sharing?. Postgrad Med. 1998; 104: 25-27 Google Scholar , (18) Rind D.M Safran C Real and imagined barriers to an electronic medical record. in: Proceedings of the 17th Annual Symposium on Computer Applications in Medical Care. McGraw-Hill, New York, NY1993: 74-78 Google Scholar , (19) Drazen E Why don’t we have computer-based patient records?. J Am Health Info Manage Assoc. 1996; 67: 56-60 Google Scholar , (20) McDonald C.J The barriers to electronic medical record systems and how to overcome them. J Am Med Informatics Assoc. 1997; 4: 213-221 Google Scholar , (21) Sicotte C Denis J.L Lehoux P Champagne F The computer-based patient record challenges towards timeless and spaceless medical practice. J Med Syst. 1998; 22: 237-256 Google Scholar , (22) Frisee M.E Computers and productivity is it time for a reality check?. Acad Med. 1998; 73: 59-64 Google Scholar ). Although this technology is the wave of the future, Gilmore et al ( (23) Gilmore C.J Maillet J.O Mitchell B.E Determining educational preparation based on job competencies of entry-level dietetics practitioners. J Am Diet Assoc. 1997; 97: 306-316 Google Scholar ) found that computer communication was among the competencies entry-level dietitians stated as least likely to be taught in their educational programs. This study was funded, in part, through a grant from the Delaware Institute of Medical Education and Research, Wilmington.

As more health care facilities adopt computer-based patients records (CPR), dietitians will have the need to be trained in this technology. This descriptive survey examined supervised practice program directors’ expectations and current training of students on this topic and the barriers that might preclude such training. All program directors nationwide were surveyed with a response rate of 62.4%. Only 34.9% of respondents held any CPR expectations of students entering their programs, and 51.1% of the programs provided training on CPR. The predominant format used for recording electronic nutrition care notes was SOAP. Barriers noted to CPR training in descending order included lack of availability/accessibility of computers, lack of computer skills, lack of time and other resources, and lack of facility cooperation. When asked what they felt were the 3 most important computer skills for an entering supervised practice student to possess, respondents ranked word processing as number one followed by nutrient analysis and use of the Internet. The majority of directors rated their own computer skills to be at an intermediate level and assessed the majority of their students skills to be at that same level. Results have implications for curriculum development not only in supervised practice programs but in didactic programs as well.

This study sought to determine the usefulness of lab data to clinical dietitians and perceptions of barriers to that use. A questionnaire was mailed to 2000 inpatient hospital dietitians (RD). A total of 969 RDs responded; analysis involved only those who indicated they were currently employed as clinical dietitians (N-969). The most frequent uses of lab data were for assessment of nutrition status (85%), improving nutrition care (73%), and understanding the illness/disease state (72%). Uses were not dependent on age, years of experience, route to registration, or whether one held an advanced degree. Certified Nutrition Support Dietitians (CNSD) were less likely to use lab results to avoid malpractice (P=.03). Top perceived barriers included physicians failing to routinely order labs necessary for nutrition assessment (45%), lab results not routinely available (38%), and unresponsive physicians to requests for certain lab tests (20%). RDs in the 45-54 yr range were least likely to identify lack of time as a barrier (P=.002). Those who became RDs through the grandfather clause were most likely to note they were unsure about discussing lab values with patient or family (P=.002). RDs with advanced degrees were less likely to view lack of knowledge as an obstacle (P=.0001); those at the baccalaureate-level were more likely to identify lab results not routinely available (P=.01) as problematic. Both CNSD RDs (P=.03) and RDs certified as diabetes educators (P=.004) were more likely to identify that the physician does not routinely order necessary labs for nutrition assessment than were RDs not certified in these specialties. Although the uses for lab data were not unexpected, barriers would appear to indicate that better communication with physicians is warranted.

This study sought to determine the usefulness of lab data to clinical dietitians and perceptions of barriers to that use. A questionnaire was mailed to 2000 inpatient hospital dietitians (RD). A total of 969 RDs responded; analysis involved only those who indicated they were currently employed as clinical dietitians (N-969). The most frequent uses of lab data were for assessment of nutrition status (85%), improving nutrition care (73%), and understanding the illness/disease state (72%). Uses were not dependent on age, years of experience, route to registration, or whether one held an advanced degree. Certified Nutrition Support Dietitians (CNSD) were less likely to use lab results to avoid malpractice (P=.03). Top perceived barriers included physicians failing to routinely order labs necessary for nutrition assessment (45%), lab results not routinely available (38%), and unresponsive physicians to requests for certain lab tests (20%). RDs in the 45-54 yr range were least likely to identify lack of time as a barrier (P=.002). Those who became RDs through the grandfather clause were most likely to note they were unsure about discussing lab values with patient or family (P=.002). RDs with advanced degrees were less likely to view lack of knowledge as an obstacle (P=.0001); those at the baccalaureate-level were more likely to identify lab results not routinely available (P=.01) as problematic. Both CNSD RDs (P=.03) and RDs certified as diabetes educators (P=.004) were more likely to identify that the physician does not routinely order necessary labs for nutrition assessment than were RDs not certified in these specialties. Although the uses for lab data were not unexpected, barriers would appear to indicate that better communication with physicians is warranted.