A Cross‐Sectional Survey of Research Involvement and Interest among Graduate Dietetics Students

Background: Dietitians are not frequently participating in or leading research. Cultivating greater research interest and involvement starts with dietetics education, but little is known about dietetics students’ research involvement and interest. This study examines relationships between research involvement and interest among graduate dietetics students. Methods: This study was a cross-sectional survey design incorporating participant characteristic data, the Practice-Based Dietitian Research Involvement Survey (PBDRIS), and the modified Interest in Research Questionnaire (IRQ) tools; 89 of 327 (27.2%) graduate dietetic students from 3 US universities were included. Participant characteristics, PBDRIS scores, and IRQ scores were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Relationships between variables were analyzed using Kruskal-Wallis test, one-way ANOVA, and Spearman correlation depending on data distribution. Results: Among participants, the median age was 35.0, 92.5% were female, and 70.8% were registered dietitians. The mean PBDRIS total score was 47.4 ± 10.9, and the median IRQ score was 66.0 (56.0, 75.0). Post-professional doctorate students had a significantly higher PBDRIS total score than pre-professional master’s students (P=0.002). There were significantly higher median IRQ scores among post-professional master’s and doctorate students than pre-professional master’s students (P\u3c0.001 and P=0.004, respectively). A moderate, positive correlation was found between PBDRIS total score and IRQ score (P\u3c0.001). Conclusion: Research involvement is higher in post-professional doctorate students than in pre-professional master’s students. Research interest is higher in post-professional master’s and doctorate students compared to pre-professional master’s students. The pre-professional dietetics research curriculum should be strengthened to cultivate research interest and involvement

Animal versus plant protein and adult bone health: A systematic review and meta-analysis from the National Osteoporosis Foundation

Background: Protein may have both beneficial and detrimental effects on bone health depending on a variety of factors, including protein source. Objective: The aim was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis evaluating the effects of animal versus plant protein intake on bone mineral density (BMD), bone mineral content (BMC) and select bone biomarkers in healthy adults. Methods: Searches across five databases were conducted through 10/31/16 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and prospective cohort studies in healthy adults that examined the effects of animal versus plant protein intake on 1) total body (TB), total hip (TH), lumbar spine (LS) or femoral neck (FN) BMD or TB BMC for at least one year, or 2) select bone formation and resorption biomarkers for at least six months. Strength of evidence (SOE) was assessed and random effect meta-analyses were performed. Results: Seven RCTs examining animal vs. isoflavone-rich soy (Soy+) protein intake in 633 healthy peri-menopausal (n = 1) and post-menopausal (n = 6) women were included. Overall risk of bias was medium. Limited SOE suggests no significant difference between Soy+ vs. animal protein on LS, TH, FN and TB BMD, TB BMC, and bone turnover markers BSAP and NTX. Meta-analysis results showed on average, the differences between Soy+ and animal protein groups were close to zero and not significant for BMD outcomes (LS: n = 4, pooled net % change: 0.24%, 95% CI: -0.80%, 1.28%; TB: n = 3, -0.24%, 95% CI: -0.81%, 0.33%; FN: n = 3, 0.13%, 95% CI: -0.94%, 1.21%). All meta-analyses had no statistical heterogeneity. Conclusions: These results do not support soy protein consumption as more advantageous than animal protein, or vice versa. Future studies are needed examining the effects of different protein sources in different populations on BMD, BMC, and fracture

Table_1_The impact and implementation of an mHealth intervention to improve infant and young child feeding in Senegal: IIMAANJE protocol for a cluster randomized control trial.DOCX

Behavior change communication (BCC) strategies have the potential to improve infant feeding and nutrition outcomes among infants and young children in low- and middle-income countries. More recently, there has been a shift toward the adoption of mHealth interventions—the use of mobile phones to transmit health-related information or direct care—to promote recommended BCC strategies among the caregivers of infants and young children. In Senegal, most infants and young children are not fed according to recommended practices leading to a high prevalence of undernutrition and micronutrient deficiencies. The aims of this cluster randomized control trial, using an effectiveness-implementation (type 1) hybrid design, were to: (1) determine the impact of an mHealth IYCF intervention on IYCF practices and nutrition outcomes; and (2) examine the implementation, costs, and opportunities for scaling up the mHealth messaging intervention. The trial was conducted in three regions in Senegal (Thies, Fatick, Diourbel) with 488 mother, father and children (6–23 months) triads. The intervention included 8 scripted messages, that underwent cognitive testing prior to the intervention implementation, and 8 unscripted messages from positive deviants. One voice message and one text message were sent each week to members of our experimental group for a 16-week period. The impact of the intervention was assessed through a household survey, 24-h dietary recall, and hemoglobin measurements before and after the intervention implementation. The primary outcomes were minimal acceptable diet (MAD) and anemia. We also included a total of 54 participants in nine focus groups held with mothers and fathers and semi-structured interviews with Badienou Gox (i.e., community health workers) (n = 6) and national partners and program implementers (n = 6) to examine the intervention implementation process. The study was registered prior to data collection on Clinicaltrials.gov (Identifier: NCT05374837).</p

Table_2_The impact and implementation of an mHealth intervention to improve infant and young child feeding in Senegal: IIMAANJE protocol for a cluster randomized control trial.DOCX

Behavior change communication (BCC) strategies have the potential to improve infant feeding and nutrition outcomes among infants and young children in low- and middle-income countries. More recently, there has been a shift toward the adoption of mHealth interventions—the use of mobile phones to transmit health-related information or direct care—to promote recommended BCC strategies among the caregivers of infants and young children. In Senegal, most infants and young children are not fed according to recommended practices leading to a high prevalence of undernutrition and micronutrient deficiencies. The aims of this cluster randomized control trial, using an effectiveness-implementation (type 1) hybrid design, were to: (1) determine the impact of an mHealth IYCF intervention on IYCF practices and nutrition outcomes; and (2) examine the implementation, costs, and opportunities for scaling up the mHealth messaging intervention. The trial was conducted in three regions in Senegal (Thies, Fatick, Diourbel) with 488 mother, father and children (6–23 months) triads. The intervention included 8 scripted messages, that underwent cognitive testing prior to the intervention implementation, and 8 unscripted messages from positive deviants. One voice message and one text message were sent each week to members of our experimental group for a 16-week period. The impact of the intervention was assessed through a household survey, 24-h dietary recall, and hemoglobin measurements before and after the intervention implementation. The primary outcomes were minimal acceptable diet (MAD) and anemia. We also included a total of 54 participants in nine focus groups held with mothers and fathers and semi-structured interviews with Badienou Gox (i.e., community health workers) (n = 6) and national partners and program implementers (n = 6) to examine the intervention implementation process. The study was registered prior to data collection on Clinicaltrials.gov (Identifier: NCT05374837).</p

Effect of isoflavone-rich soy protein vs. animal protein intake on lumbar spine BMD in postmenopausal women.

<p>Effect of isoflavone-rich soy protein vs. animal protein intake on lumbar spine BMD in postmenopausal women.</p

SOE grading: equal amounts of soy, isoflavone-poor protein vs. animal protein intake by outcome¹.

<p>SOE grading: equal amounts of soy, isoflavone-poor protein vs. animal protein intake by outcome<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0192459#t006fn001" target="_blank">¹</a>.</p

Literature search and study selection process.

<p>Literature search and study selection process.</p

RCT BMD and BMC results comparing isoflavone-rich soy protein, isoflavone-poor soy protein, and animal protein¹.

<p>RCT BMD and BMC results comparing isoflavone-rich soy protein, isoflavone-poor soy protein, and animal protein<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0192459#t003fn001" target="_blank">¹</a>.</p

Effect of isoflavone-rich soy protein vs. animal protein intake on femoral neck BMD in postmenopausal women.

<p>Effect of isoflavone-rich soy protein vs. animal protein intake on femoral neck BMD in postmenopausal women.</p