P49 Registered Dietitian Nutritionists’ Perceptions of Helping Mothers Gain Sustainable Access to Healthy Foods

Abstract

Background Food insecurity in households with children headed by single mothers is higher than the national average. Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs) can play a vital role in helping mothers gain sustainable access to healthy foods. Objective To examine RDN perceptions of helping mothers gain sustainable access to healthy foods and assess their awareness of nutrition assistance programs. Study Design, Setting, Participants Quantitative, cross-sectional online survey analytically framed by the Community Readiness Model. A convenience sample of 533 RDNs licensed in North Carolina was recruited using the North Carolina Board of Nutrition's public database. Measurable Outcome/Analysis RDNs answered demographic questions prior to the survey. The survey asked participants to rate their perception of the importance of helping food insecure mothers and if they felt helping was within their scope of practice. Participants were also asked about their awareness of nutrition assistance programs. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, the Mann-Whitney U test, and Spearman's correlation; P Results Participants were mostly White women (90%). Ninety-eight percent of all RDNs perceived helping mothers with food access as important. RDNs who perceived helping as important felt helping is never out of their scope of practice; U = 660, P Conclusion Most RDNs perceive helping mothers gain sustainable access to healthy foods as important and within their scope of practice. Even though there are currently 8 federal nutrition assistance programs and several state and local programs, RDNs were only able to identify a few. To be ready to help mothers experiencing food insecurity, RDNs should gain more awareness of nutrition assistance programs through continuing education efforts Funding None.