Dietetic Research Research Articles

A systemic challenge in dietetics: Methodological inadequacies, erroneous claims, and misleadinginterpretations, and transparency of post-publication scrutiny.

Background: Obesity is sweeping across the developed world. Yet, the public remains largely confused when it comes to the nature of dietary habits which would serve to counteract this trend. Aim: I highlight the responsibility that the scientific community bears when it comes to the confusion, and explain the kind of actions that are needed if the public trust in science is to be maintained. Methods: Starting from an example of a recently published and prominently featured article in a leading journal, I analyse various common methodological aspects of dietetics research and the consequent claims, contextualizing this within the broader environment which includes the scientific publishing process and the mainstream media. Results: Methodological inadequacies, erroneous claims, and misleading interpretations of findings are often found in dietetics research, highlighting the deficiencies of the system which fails to uphold the fundamental principles of scientific inquiry. Conclusion: It is imperative that individual scientists speak out and challenge poor science, unsatisfactory publishing processes, and bombastic and misleading communication of research.

Advancing qualitative health research approaches in applied nutrition research.

Applied health research methods are evolving to meet the demands of increasingly complex health research needs. Qualitative health research, focused on individual perspectives of health, wellness, illness and recovery, has emerged as a unique discipline of this field. With distinct foci, methods and rules, qualitative health research has the potential to answer applied health research questions to inform practice, education and policy. Despite this potential, there are challenges to the application of qualitative health research methods in nutrition and dietetics research. These include limited training and mentorship availability for the rigorous application of these methods, as well as misaligned goals between the traditional social science-based qualitative approaches and emerging applied nutrition science needs. Recognising these limitations, this review aims to provide guidance to the nutrition scientist conducting applied qualitative health research. Using nutrition and dietetic examples from the literature, this review defines qualitative health research and advances the Emphasis-Purposeful sample-Phenomenon of interest-Context (EPPiC) framework as a tool for constructing structured overarching research questions and introduces four qualitative health research designs (qualitative description, interpretive description, case study and focused ethnography) relevant to applied nutrition science. This includes guidance on defining the sample, identifying strategies for data collection, analytic techniques and data reporting.

Pointers and Pitfalls in Interpreting Nutrition and Dietetics Research: The Importance of Statistical and Clinical Significance

This monograph focuses on understanding statistical and clinical significance and is one in a research and statistics series published by the statistical team of the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The content covers the research questions, definition of clinical significance, hypothesis testing, P values, effect sizes, sample sizes, CIs, power analyses, minimal clinically important differences, and validity. This monograph concludes with a summary of the importance of clinical and statistical results for credentialed nutrition and dietetics practitioners to consider when assessing statistical and clinical significance. The assessment will help readers make subjective clinical judgments in the application of research findings based on their experience.

CFDR Research Showcase: Early Bird Abstracts

Given the pandemic challenges we experienced over the last year, the 2021 Dietitians of Canada (DC) National Conference from May–June brought our dietetic community together from all across Canada and the world. This year the Canadian Foundation for Dietetic Research (CFDR) showcased another successful event with novel, relevant, timely research projects via the OnAIR Virtual Event Portal. Twenty-four research abstracts were submitted and reviewed by the Early Bird Abstract Review Committee. It was exciting to have research from different nutrition and dietetic practice areas represented. Thanks for all of the abstract submissions! Eight Early Bird abstracts were presented as Lightning Rounds during the virtual DC National Conference and were very well-received. The remaining 16 abstracts were displayed as posters for the duration of the conference with a live 7-min presentation opportunity from the poster gallery on May 19, 2021. All of the Early Bird abstracts are published in this issue of the Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research and are also featured on the CFDR website. These abstracts represent a wide variety of practice-based nutrition research projects in Canada. The Early Bird abstract research event would not have been possible without the commitment and dedication of many supportive individuals. On behalf of DC and CFDR, we extend a special thank you to members of our abstract review committee: Susan Campisi (University of Toronto); Pauline Darling (University of Ottawa); Andrea Glenn (St. Francis Xavier University); Mahsa Jessri (University of British Columbia); Grace Lee (University Health Network), Jessica Lieffers (University of Saskatchewan); Shelley Vanderhout (University of Toronto). A sincere thank you to all of the moderators, the DC Conference team and Izabella Bachmanek for their support with the Lightning Round presentations over the course of the DC virtual conference. Please consider submitting an abstract next year for the CFDR Research Showcase at the 2022 DC National Conference in Saskatoon, SK. Wishing all of you a wonderful Fall! Warm regards, Christina Lengyel PhD RD Chair, 2021 Early Bird Committee Professor Director of the Dietetics Program Food and Human Nutritional Sciences University of Manitoba Janis Randall Simpson PhD RD FDC FCNS Executive Director, CFDR Professor Emerita University of Guelph This article was corrected after publication.

Awareness and Attitudes of Student Dietitians in Lebanon, UK and USA towards Food Safety.

Allied health professionals such as dietitians can play a critical role in providing food safety advice to vulnerable consumers. To maximize food-related health and wellbeing, food needs to be safe and nutritious; consequently, food safety is referred to in international curricula for the training of dietitians. The purpose of this study was to explore the awareness and attitudes of student dietitians from three international institutions towards food safety. A total of 207 student dietitians participated in the study from Columbus, OH, USA (n = 99), Cardiff, Wales, UK (n = 78) and Beirut, Lebanon (n = 30). Completion of the study established that the students in three dietetic training programs lacked awareness of key food safety concepts. Close to half (43%) were not familiar with Campylobacter, with the USA students being significantly less knowledgeable (p < 0.001) with 58% being unaware of the pathogen. Understanding of safe handling of leftovers was the lowest for the students in all institutions; only 46% described appropriate reheating practices, with significantly lower (p < 0.001) understanding in Lebanon (28%). The students reported a good understanding of vulnerable populations and perceived food safety to be important for these groups. However, the knowledge of certain high-risk foods was lacking. For instance, 69% of students thought that fresh squeezed juices and smoothies made with raw fruits and vegetables were safe for vulnerable patients, with the UK students being the least familiar with this risk (16%). This is the first study of its kind to take an international perspective of student dietitian food safety awareness and attitudes; the findings are important to dietetic food safety educators and recommendations are made to further explore the interpretation of food safety requirements in international dietetic curricula. Future studies should extend student dietetic research to address attitudes, self-efficacy and the overall readiness to deliver food safety advice to the patients and the community.

Clinical Leadership in Dietetics

Clinical leadership has been addressed in many health care professions; yet, there is little research in dietetics. This qualitative study explored registered dietitian nutritionists' (RDNs'; n = 561) perspectives on what clinical leadership is in dietetics practice and what barriers exist to practicing it. Two thematic analyses were explored. RDNs described dietetics clinical leadership as including strong technical skills, interpersonal interactions, and specific personal attributes. RDNs described barriers to practicing clinical leadership that included the work environment, limited resources, and individual circumstances/attributes. Managers may consider these perspectives as they work with clinical RDNs, and educators can incorporate these findings into the dietetics curriculum.

Using realist approaches in nutrition and dietetics research.

AimThe aim of this study was to explore the use and future potential of realist approaches to research in nutrition and dietetics.MethodsA targeted literature review was used to search key journals (n = 7) in nutrition and dietetics to identify existing research using a realist approach. A narrative synthesis was conducted to explore findings in relation to the research aim.ResultsNine research papers (four realist evaluations, five realist reviews) describing seven nutrition interventions were found, which revealed the application of realist research in nutrition and dietetics has focused on public health interventions. Realist research provided a deeper, more nuanced understanding of varied outcomes including the role of context, and contributed to the development of theory about how and why interventions work. As a theory‐driven research method, realist research was able to assist in overcoming methodological shortcomings to contribute to meaningful, transferable findings.ConclusionThe results highlight the potential contribution of the realist research in nutrition and dietetics to evaluate interventions and inform future practice.

Statistical methods and software used in nutrition and dietetics research: A review of the published literature using text mining.

AimDietitians must be statistically literate to effectively interpret the scientific literature underpinning the discipline. Despite this, no study has been conducted that objectively identifies common statistical methods and packages specific to current nutrition and dietetics literature. This study aimed to identify statistical methods and software frequently used in nutrition and dietetics research.MethodsA text mining approach using the bag‐of‐words method was applied to a random sample of articles obtained from all journals in the ‘Nutrition and Dietetics’ subject category within the SCImago Journal and Country Rank portal and published in 2018. A list of 229 statistical terms and 19 statistical software packages was developed to define the search terms to be mined. Statistical information from the methods section of included articles was extracted into Microsoft Excel (2016) for data cleaning. Statistical analyses were conducted in R (Version 3.6.0) and Microsoft Excel (2016).ResultsSeven hundred and fifty‐seven journal articles were included. Numerical descriptive statistics were the most common statistical method group, appearing in 83.2% of articles (n = 630). This was followed by specific hypothesis tests (68.8%, n = 521), general hypothesis concepts (58.4%, n = 442), regression (44.4%, n = 336), and ANOVA (30.8%, n = 233). IBM SPSS statistics was the most common statistical software package, reported in 41.7% of included articles.ConclusionThese findings provide useful information for educators to evaluate current statistics curricula and develop short courses for continuing education. They may also act as a starting point for dietitians to educate themselves on typical statistical methods they may encounter.

Internal coherence matters: Lessons for nutrition and dietetics research.

AimInternal coherence in research refers to the alignment between ontology (nature of reality), epistemology (nature of knowledge), axiology (values), methodology and methods and is an important but often overlooked element of research quality. We therefore aimed to illustrate the concept of internal coherence in nutrition and dietetics research, and its importance beyond individual elements of study quality.MethodA targeted literature search in Nutrition and Dietetics was used to identify research illustrating one example of three main approaches to research (scientific, interpretive and critical inquiry) published between November 2017 and November 2020. Studies were included if they related to education research based on the expertise of the authors, and illustrated diverse points about internal coherence. The authors independently critiqued included studies for internal coherence and synthesised their findings.ResultsFrom 76 manuscripts, 14 were identified as describing education research. Of the three selected studies that were critiqued, all had elements of internal coherence, in particular alignment between epistemology and methodology. However, each had elements of misalignment too, specifically between epistemology, axiology and method. The results point to the profession's historical groundings privileging the scientific approach, showing how this can yield misalignments, particularly when describing the limitations of interpretive and critical inquiry approaches.ConclusionThis review demonstrates the importance of internal coherence as a marker of quality, over and above existing quality assessment checklists for qualitative and quantitative methodologies. As such, it can help authors, reviewers and editors to improve the quality of nutrition and dietetics research and its reporting.

Grounding dietetic research in scientific rigour.

Grounding dietetic research in scientific rigour.

Manuscript Rejection in Public Health, Nutrition and Dietetics Research

It is evident that each century and decade has unique challenges and inquiries that require answers to ensure the survival of humanity on Earth. The advent of modern technologies has significantly transformed the scope and purpose of research inquiries in the fields of Public Health, Nutrition, and Dietetics. These advancements have empowered us to pose more profound questions, leading to more comprehensive outcomes and larger insights. These research questions in the fields of Public Health, Nutrition, and Dietetics accurately depict the current state of affairs. By asking the appropriate questions, we can expect to obtain the correct answers that will have a significant impact on people's lives. The writers aim to publish these answers to get the stakeholders' attention. Why, in certain cases, may this great act and display of generosity be declined? This review examines the manuscript rejection process in Public Health, Nutrition, and Dietetics Research. The fundamental elements determining whether a Public Health, Nutrition, and Dietetics Research paper is accepted or rejected are its quality, conciseness, clarity, verifiability, uniqueness, and appeal. Authors should collaborate with editors to effectively accomplish this goal, while editors and publishers should carry out their responsibilities with impartiality, avoiding any kind of prejudice in this honorable task. Effective acceptance and publication of well-executed manuscripts would greatly propel the progress of human existence on Earth by satisfying our curiosity as we explore the vast expanse of the planet, while rejection would regress us to the prehistoric era before the advent of civilization. The decision lies in our hands to opt for either sustainable development or face extinction.

Transparency in the Publication Etiquette of Public Health, Nutrition, and Dietetics Research

Transparency is a mirage or a paradox because the minimum acceptable, measurable transparency standard remains highly debated. In this review, efforts were made to outline how to make sure all stakeholders, both within and outside Special Journals Publisher, see and understand the goal of Special Journals Publisher [SJP] in the same way. Transparency also requires a publishing culture that welcomes honest, open communication between different levels of SJP. Unity of purpose, and ideologies, with a clearly defined agenda, is the best way to achieve publishing excellence beyond expectation in a result-oriented press. Team playing use of edifying and morale-boosting language to communicate losses and giving stakeholders the opportunity to air their views before final decisions are made, as well as timely communication of the final decisions to stakeholders, forms the basis of transparency in the publication etiquette of Special Journal of Public Health, Nutrition, and Dietetics Research

A Review of Statistical Reporting in Dietetics Research (2010-2019): How is a Canadian Journal Doing?

Despite the widespread use of statistical techniques in quantitative research, methodological flaws and inadequate statistical reporting persist. The objective of this study is to evaluate the quality of statistical reporting and procedures in all original, quantitative articles published in the Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research (CJDPR) from 2010 to 2019 using a checklist created by our research team. In total, 107 articles were independently evaluated by 2 raters. The hypothesis or objective(s) was clearly stated in 97.2% of the studies. Over half (51.4%) of the articles reported the study design and 57.9% adequately described the statistical techniques used. Only 21.2% of the studies that required a prestudy sample size calculation reported one. Of the 281 statistical tests conducted, 88.3% of them were correct. P values >0.05-0.10 were reported as "statistically significant" and/or a "trend" in 11.4% of studies. While this evaluation reveals both strengths and areas for improvement in the quality of statistical reporting in CJDPR, we encourage dietitians to pursue additional statistical training and/or seek the assistance of a statistician. Future research should consider validating this new checklist and using it to evaluate the statistical quality of studies published in other nutrition journals and disciplines.

The Queen of Hearts: Exploring the process of creating queer art and its use in dietetic research and practice

Body image issues for gay men can shape their overall health and wellbeing. The intent of this article is to explore the personal and creative process in translating research findings to art. The article first presents a brief overview of the research that explored how social and cultural norms constitute the beliefs, values, and practices of gay men concerning their eating, body image, and health. The research findings are translated through an art piece that is disruptive to the dominant ways of knowing about the body ideals set before gay men. An art piece that is, therefore, by definition queer art. The findings, and hence, the art are interpreted through the classic tale of Alice in Wonderland - a poststructural piece of literature. The article describes the considerations and processes used to create the art, including the central character, the colors, and the the symbolism of its various components. Implications of queer art to dietetic practice are discussed. &#x0D; &#x0D;

Canadian Foundation for Dietetic Research

Canadian Foundation for Dietetic Research

Changing landscape of nutrition and dietetics research? A bibliographic analysis of top-tier published research in 1998 and 2018.

The current study sought to describe and compare study type, research design and translation phase of published research in nutrition and dietetic journals in 1998 and 2018. This was a repeat cross-sectional bibliographic analysis of Nutrition and Dietetics research. All eligible studies in the top eight Nutrition and Dietetics indexed journals in 1998 and 2018 were included. Two independent reviewers coded each study for research design (study type and study design) and translation phase (T0-T4) of the research using seminal texts in the field. Not relevant. Not relevant. The number of publications (1998, n 1030; 2018, n 1016) has not changed over time, but the research type, design and translation phases have. The proportion of intervention studies in 1998 (43·8 %) was significantly higher than 2018 (19·4 %). In 2018, more reviews (46·9 % v. 15·6 % in 1998) and less randomised trials (14·3 % v. 37·8 % in 1998) were published. In regard to translation phase, there was a higher proportion of T2-T4 research in 2018 (18·3 % v. 3·8 % in 1998); however, the proportion of T3/T4 (dissemination, implementation and population-level research) research was still low (<3 %). Our sensitivity analysis with the four journals that remained in the top eight journal across the two time periods found no differences in the research type, design and translation phases across time. There was a reduction in intervention and T0 publications, alongside higher publication of clinical study designs over time; however, published T3/T4 research in Nutrition and Dietetics is low. A greater focus on publishing interventions and dissemination and implementation may be needed.

Pillars for excellence in nutrition units — research

Research in clinical nutrition and dietetics consists of "carrying out intellectual and experimental activities in a systematic way with the purpose of increasing knowledge on this topic." The biomedical research carried out in clinical nutrition and dietetics units (UNCyDs) must be clinical-translational, which is understood as the fastest way to ensure that new scientific knowledge is transferred not only to clinical research but also to clinical practice. When UNCyDs conduct research, regardless of type and extent, they achieve higher quality standards in the health care they provide to their users. Clinical practice and scientific research are activities that constitute a continuous, indissoluble action. For this reason, both those responsible for health management and nutrition units and all their members have an obligation to promote research. In this article, a brief historical review of the birth of clinical nutrition as a scientific discipline is made, the legislation that supports biomedical research is briefly mentioned, the main keys to promote research in UNCyD are proposed, and finally orientation is offered on the main funding for biomedical research programs, and how to transfer and disseminate results.

Canadian Foundation for Dietetic Research CFDR Research Showcase: Early Bird Abstracts

Review Committee. It was exciting to have research from different nutrition and dietetic practice areas represented. Thanks for all of the abstract submissions! Eight Early Bird abstracts were presented as Lightning Rounds during the virtual DC National Conference and were very well-received. The remaining 16 abstracts were displayed as posters for the duration of the conference with a live 7-min presentation opportunity from the poster gallery on May 19, 2021. All of the Early Bird abstracts are published in this issue of the Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research and are also featured on the CFDR website. These abstracts represent a wide variety of practice-based nutrition research projects in Canada. The Early Bird abstract research event would not have been possible without the commitment and dedication of many supportive individuals. On behalf of DC and CFDR, we extend a special thank you to members of our abstract review committee: Susan Campisi (University of Toronto);Pauline Darling (University of Ottawa);Andrea Glenn (St. Francis Xavier University);Mahsa Jessri (University of British Columbia);Grace Lee (University Health Network), Jessica Lieffers (University of Saskatchewan);Shelley Vanderhout (University of Toronto). A sincere thank you to all of the moderators, the DC Conference team and Izabella Bachmanek for their support with the Lightning Round presentations over the course of the DC virtual conference. Please consider submitting an abstract next year for the CFDR Research Showcase at the 2022 DC National Conference in Saskatoon, SK. Wishing all of you a wonderful Fall! Warm regards

Opportunities for Qualitative Analysis of Social Media Platforms in Dietetic Research and Practice.

To date, most qualitative knowledge about individual eating patterns and the food environment has been derived from traditional data collection methods, such as interviews, focus groups, and observations. However, there currently exists a large source of nutrition-related data in social media discussions that have the potential to provide opportunities to improve dietetic research and practice. Qualitative social media discussion analysis offers a new tool for dietetic researchers and practitioners to gather insights into how the public discusses various nutrition-related topics. We first consider how social media discussion data come with significant advantages including low-cost access to timely ways to gather insights from the public, while also cautioning that social media data have limitations (e.g.,difficulty verifying demographic information). We then outline 3 types of social media discussion platforms in particular: (i) online news article comment sections, (ii) food and nutrition blogs, and (iii) discussion forums. We discuss how each different type of social media offers unique insights and provide a specific example from our own research using each platform. We contend that social media discussions can contribute positively to dietetic research and practice.

Conceptual framework in Public Health Nutrition and Dietetics Research

The conceptual framework encompasses the researcher's ideas focused on understanding and mastering the research topic, problem, questions, literature, theories, methodology, procedures, instruments, data analysis, interpretation of findings, recommendations, and conclusions in the fields of Public Health, Nutrition, and Dietetics. This review aims to retrospectively analyze activities and updates in the research field over the past 30 years. The main objective is to demonstrate the importance of the conceptual framework in research related to Public Health, Nutrition, and Dietetics. This framework is considered crucial in driving improvements in the health and well-being of mothers and children, which in turn has a direct impact on the sustainability of societal development. The conceptual framework is crucial as it provides a level of excellence that determines favorable results and influences the establishment of a benchmark for scientific study. Furthermore, it will affect improving the uniformity and comparability of research findings, while also ensuring that universally acknowledged standards and rules regulating scientific fields are established. The aim outlines the goals and purpose, whereas the fundamental details the methods to attain the study objectives in Public Health, Nutrition, and Dietetics.