Factors That Influence Dietetic Interns\u27 Dietary Practices

Background: The dietetic internship is a rigorous supervised practice experience that all future registered dietitians must complete. Research suggests that environmental and social factors may affect dietary choices. No studies have been done to evaluate if the rigorous internship experience affects interns’ dietary practices. Objective: The objective of this focus group research study was to gather opinions from various dietetic interns to understand what factors of the internship experience, if any, affected interns’ dietary habits and preferences. It was hypothesized that environmental and social factors from the dietetic internship would impact interns’ dietary habits. Design: Qualitative data was collected via seven virtual focus group sessions in which trained moderators asked a series of controlled questions to ensure consistency among the group sessions. Participants/Setting: Candidates were recruited across the United States through an email distributed by dietetic internship directors. Participants (n=42) were currently completing or had completed their dietetic internship within six months (40% attrition rate). Interns attended one of seven virtual focus groups on Zoom to accommodate geographical location. Each focus group contained at least five participants. Analysis: Transcripts were separately coded by two to three trained researchers using methods outlined by Krueger and Casey to identify themes and subthemes. Researchers discussed any disagreements in coding and established a consensus. Results: Elements related to the dietetic internship were observed to influence dietary choices of participants. The main factors affecting interns’ dietary choices were finances, access/availability (e.g. access to a refrigerator, microwave, etc.), mental load] , and time. A minor theme identified was social influence, including the influence of preceptors. Conclusions: Finances, access/availability, mental load, time, and social influences impacted interns’ diets. Dietetic programs and preceptors should explore ways to minimize the potential negative impacts of these factors on interns’ dietary habits

Factors Influencing Dietetic Interns\u27 Dietary Habits During Supervised Practice

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

Factors Influencing Dietetic Interns’ Dietary Habits during Supervised Practice

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