An On‐line Survey of Current and Emerging Nutrition and Dietetic Professionals to Assess Training Needs in Nutritional Genomics

• Published in: The FASEB journal 2008-04, Vol.22 (S2), p.774-774
• Main Authors: Wallace, Sharonda, Yang, Hui, Wakimoto, Patricia, Rodriguez, Raymond
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0892-6638; 1530-6860
• DOI: 10.1096/fasebj.22.2_supplement.774

Nutritional genomics is the study of how genetic differences may affect responses to nutrients or other naturally occurring compounds in the foods we eat. The objective of this research project was to administer a web‐based survey to assess training needs of nutrition professionals and trainees. Ten thousand dietitians were contacted. An email was sent to elicit participation in the survey. The survey assessed knowledge, exposure to and perception of nutritional genomics, attitudes related to perceived relevance to practice, acceptable training modes and venues and ethical concerns surrounding integration of nutritional genomics into dietetic practice. Respondents numbered 2,310, with the majority being Registered Dietitians > than 10 years since registration. Most had been exposed to the topic of nutritional genomics through workshops and journal articles. Less than 10% of the practitioners have been asked about nutritional genomics by clients. Thirty eight percent of sample felt dietitians had a central role in putting nutritional genomics into practice and 52% were interested in learning more about nutritional genomics. Less than 5% of the respondents felt they were well informed. The on‐line training needs assessment survey results will provide valuable data for guiding the development of tools that can be broadly used for training in nutritional genomics. This research was supported by a CCLS mini‐grant, San Francisco State University.