Factors Influencing Dietetic Interns’ Dietary Habits during Supervised Practice

Abstract

Supervised practice is a prerequisite to becoming a registered dietitian. Research suggests that environmental and social factors may affect dietary choices. This focus group research aimed to gather opinions from dietetic interns to understand what factors related to supervised practice, if any, affected their dietary habits. Qualitative data were collected via seven recorded virtual focus groups in which trained moderators facilitated a discussion using a series of controlled questions. Participants, dietetic interns (n = 42) who were currently completing or had completed their supervised practice within the previous six months, attended one of seven virtual focus groups. Each focus group had five to eight participants. Transcripts were separately coded by two trained researchers using a grounded theory approach to identify themes and subthemes. Researchers discussed any disagreements in coding and established a consensus. Elements related to the dietetic internship were observed to influence participants’ dietary choices. Main themes included time, finances, food access and availability, physical and mental effects, non-supervised practice factors, and social factors. Dietetic programs and preceptors should explore ways to raise interns’ awareness and minimize the potential negative impacts of these factors on interns’ dietary habits to improve their overall internship experience.

Fruit and Vegetable Intake, Food Security, Barriers to Healthy Eating, and Empowerment among Dietetic Interns and Physician Assistant Interns: A Cross-Sectional Pilot Study

“…Similar to previous research among dietetic interns [1], time was the highest rated barrier to healthy eating during an internship for both physician assistant interns and dietetic interns. Notable differences include dietetic interns being more impacted by mental fatigue and additional responsibilities.…”

“…The survey also included questions from the Six-Item Food Security Scale developed by the National Center for Health Statistics [17], the Accountable Health Communities Screening Tool [18], and questions from the Diabetes Empowerment Scale [19] that were adapted to be specific to healthy eating during an internship. The survey also included questions that addressed barriers to healthy eating during an internship that were identified in previous research [1]; a 5-point Likert scale was used ranging from strongly agree to strongly disagree. Bias: To address potential sources of bias, the researchers pilot-tested the survey questions to establish face validity [20], avoided the use of leading questions, and considered cultural variations when designing the study.…”

“…Healthcare provider internships are the foundational training and primary way that students develop future practices as healthcare providers. For many students, this is a challenging portion of their education as it may require relocation, becoming familiar with one or many preceptors and facilities, and often follows the schedule of a full-time job [1].…”

“…More research is needed on the prevalence of food security among dietetic interns or physician assistant interns. Other research suggests that time, finances, food accessibility, and physical, mental, and social health influence dietetic interns' diets during their internship [1]. However, research assessing barriers to healthy eating among physician assistant interns has not been explicitly addressed.…”