Trends, challenges, opportunities, and future needs of the dietetic workforce: a systematic scoping review

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Author(s)
Blair, Merran
Mitchell, Lana
Palermo, Claire
Gibson, Simone
Griffith University Author(s)
Year published
2021
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Context:
Issues related to nutrition and health are prominent, yet it is unclear if the dietetics workforce is being used optimally.
Objective:
Trends, challenges, opportunities, and future needs of the international dietetic workforce are investigated in this review, which was registered with Open Science Framework (10.17605/OSF.IO/DXNWE).
Data sources:
Eight academic and 5 grey-literature databases and the Google search engine were searched from 2010 onward according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. Of 2050 articles screened, 184 ...
View more >Context: Issues related to nutrition and health are prominent, yet it is unclear if the dietetics workforce is being used optimally. Objective: Trends, challenges, opportunities, and future needs of the international dietetic workforce are investigated in this review, which was registered with Open Science Framework (10.17605/OSF.IO/DXNWE). Data sources: Eight academic and 5 grey-literature databases and the Google search engine were searched from 2010 onward according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. Of 2050 articles screened, 184 were eligible for inclusion. Data extraction: To chart data, a directed content analysis and a constant comparison technique were used. Data analysis: The following 13 themes were identified: 1) emerging or expanding areas of practice; 2) skill development; 3) economic considerations; 4) nutrition informatics; 5) diversity within the workforce; 6) specific areas of practice; 7) further education; 8) intrapersonal factors; 9) perceptions of the profession; 10) protecting the scope of practice; 11) support systems; 12) employment outcomes; and 13) registration or credentialing. Conclusions: The dietetics profession is aware of the need to expand into diverse areas of employment. Comprehensive workforce data are necessary to facilitate workforce planning.
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View more >Context: Issues related to nutrition and health are prominent, yet it is unclear if the dietetics workforce is being used optimally. Objective: Trends, challenges, opportunities, and future needs of the international dietetic workforce are investigated in this review, which was registered with Open Science Framework (10.17605/OSF.IO/DXNWE). Data sources: Eight academic and 5 grey-literature databases and the Google search engine were searched from 2010 onward according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. Of 2050 articles screened, 184 were eligible for inclusion. Data extraction: To chart data, a directed content analysis and a constant comparison technique were used. Data analysis: The following 13 themes were identified: 1) emerging or expanding areas of practice; 2) skill development; 3) economic considerations; 4) nutrition informatics; 5) diversity within the workforce; 6) specific areas of practice; 7) further education; 8) intrapersonal factors; 9) perceptions of the profession; 10) protecting the scope of practice; 11) support systems; 12) employment outcomes; and 13) registration or credentialing. Conclusions: The dietetics profession is aware of the need to expand into diverse areas of employment. Comprehensive workforce data are necessary to facilitate workforce planning.
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Journal Title
Nutrition Reviews
Copyright Statement
© 2021 Oxford University Press. This is a pre-copy-editing, author-produced PDF of an article accepted for publication in Nutrition Reviews following peer review. The definitive publisher-authenticated version Trends, challenges, opportunities, and future needs of the dietetic workforce: a systematic scoping review, Nutrition Reviews, 2021 is available online at: https://doi.org/10.1093/nutrit/nuab071.
Note
This publication has been entered in Griffith Research Online as an advanced online version.
Subject
Nutrition and dietetics