Orthorexia nervosa risk and associated factors among Chilean nutrition students: a pilot study

Background Orthorexia nervosa (ON) is characterized by an excessive, obsessive concern with healthy eating generating psychological complications and even malnutrition at a caloric and protein level. Current evidence suggests that people with greater food knowledge are the most likely to be affected, placing nutrition students as a populational risk group. Since there are no nationwide studies dealing with orthorexia nervosa in this risk group, the present pilot study intends to identify risk factors for orthorexia nervosa in a sample of Nutrition and Dietetics students in Chile. Method A descriptive cross-sectional pilot study was done on 90 Nutrition and Dietetics students from a Chilean university, representing 70% of its population. The ORTHO-11-ES instrument was applied to determine ON risk, along with consulting about attitudinal, physical-clinical and social variables. Statistical tests were performed in GraphPad PRISM 8.0®, applying probability ratios and personal correlation, between the sociodemographic variables and the risk of orthorexia nervosa. This study was approved by the university Ethics Committee based on the Helsinki Declaration. Results 23.3% of the studied population was at risk of suffering ON. Associated variables were being in the second year of their major (OR 2.22), coming from a charter school (OR 3.00) and cohabitation being limited to ≤ 1 person (OR 2.47). Particularly, declared physical activity limits are associated to the risk of suffering ON (Sedentary OR 2.42, Heavy OR 3.53), as well as time spent on the social network Instagram (< 1 h OR 2.77, > 3 h OR 1.80). Conclusions There is an ON risk prevalence of 23.3% in the present pilot sample under study, indicating that years of study, cohabitation, secondary educational establishment, physical activity and Instagram use constitute associated factors for the studied condition. Some results vary from international evidence, describing a dual nature in the variables for Instagram time and declared physical activity for ON risk. This study needs replication in more representative samples and longitudinal character with control groups which can confirm the studied elements as ON risk factors. Plain English summary Orthorexia nervosa (ON) is an expression created to indicate a possible new eating disorder characterized by excessive and obsessive preoccupation with healthy eating. Some of its most distinctive traits include marked anxiety over food, exaggerated fear over the appearance of some diseases and shame about physical appearance. This ultimately impacts food choice, planning, acquisition, preparation and consumption, creating psychological complications along with some associated with malnutrition. Considering that Nutrition students are an at-risk group, the present pilot study evaluated its prevalence and associated factors in a specific sample in Chile. Conditions associated with the risk of orthorexia nervosa identified in the present study include: number of hours spent using Instagram, limited cohabitation, extreme physical activity, and number of years in the major. These results should be taken cautiously, with their association confirmed in follow-up studies.

Artificial Intelligence Applications in Nutrition and Dietetics

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a branch of computer science whose purpose is to imitate thought processes, learning abilities, and knowledge management. The increasing number of applications in experimental and clinical medicine is striking. An artificial intelligence application in the field of nutrition and dietetics is a fairly new and important field. Different apps related to nutrition are offered to the use of individuals. The importance of individual nutrition has also triggered the increase in artificial intelligence apps. It is thought that different apps such as food preferences and dietary intake can play an important role in health promotion. Researchers may have some difficulties such as remembering the frequency or amount of intake in assessment of dietary intake. Some applications used in the assessment of food consumption contribute to overcoming these difficulties. Besides, these apps facilitate the work of researchers and provide more reliable results than traditional methods. The apps to be used in the field of nutrition and dietetics should be developed by considering the disadvantages. It is thought that artificial intelligence applications will contribute to both the improvement of health and the assessment and monitoring of nutritional status.

Development and Validation of a Competency-Based Education Model Suitable for Undergraduate Human Nutrition and Dietetics Training in Uganda: A Modified Delphi Process

Background Competency-based education (CBE) equips health professionals with the requisite competencies for health systems performance. This study aimed to develop and validate a CBE model suitable for teaching Human Nutrition/Human Nutrition and Dietetics (HN/HND) at the undergraduate level in Uganda. Methods The study was undertaken in two main phases, (1) competency needs assessment and (2) model development and content validation. The later had three iterative stages: a needs assessment results validation workshop; an expert focus group discussion to develop a draft CBE model framework; and consensus development-itself undertaken in two modified Delphi rounds to ascertain participant consensus on the relevance and suitability of the competency domains, subdomains, and statements comprised in the developed draft CBE framework for undergraduate HN/HND training in Uganda. In the modified Delphi process, participants indicated the degree to which they agreed or disagreed with each of the given statements on five-point Likert-type items of strongly disagree, disagree, neither agree nor disagree, agree, and strongly agree as well as the level of training they recommended the given competency statement to be learned. The workshop had 31 participants, the focus group eight, while the first and second Delphi rounds had 70 and 55 participants respectively. Results In total, seven competency domains, 24 subdomains, and 190 competency statements were developed. Content analysis and analysis of percentage responses for each competency statement were done with participant consensus set at ≥80%. All the seven domains (100%); 22 (91.7%) of the 24 subdomains; and 153 (87.9%) of the 174 analysed competency statements were evaluated as both relevant and suitable for undergraduate HN/HND training and hence included in the validated CBE model. Conclusion This study evaluated the relevancy and suitability of seven competency domains prevention and management of malnutrition; nutrition in the lifecycle; food security, food safety, agriculture, and livelihoods promotion; ethics and professionalism in nutrition and dietetics; research and data analysis; policy, advocacy, and social and behaviour change communication; and nutrition leadership and management for undergraduate HN/HND training in Uganda. The study recommends translating the developed CBE model into a standard curriculum that can be taught and evaluated.

Kitchen Wizards: Community Engaged Learning at The Wolfville Farmers’ Market

This article tells the story of an introductory, undergraduate required course with a significant community service-learning project developed in partnership between the School of Nutrition and Dietetics at Acadia University and the Wolfville Farmers’ Market. This partnership began in 2009, with the vision of putting food and community at the centre of the School’s pedagogy. After two years of developing a trusting relationship between the partners with the integration of focused assignments, a community-service learning initiative called Kitchen Wizards was created. Kitchen Wizards, now in its 10th year, engages 50 to 80 first-year School of Nutrition and Dietetics’ students with the community each fall semester through a Food Commodities course. The initiative introduces 6 to 12-year-old children to in-season local vegetables through a taste-testing experience centered around a simple, healthy recipe made from local produce at the Farmer’s Market, which gives the children purchasing power to buy a vegetable with a three-dollar voucher after participating in the tasting. This Kitchen Wizard’s story was developed from an action research case study, grounded in a constructivist paradigm, which explored the community-valued outcomes of this program over a three-year period, as well as the student and institutional benefits. This study was conducted by a team that included the Wolfville Farmers’ Market Coordinator and the Director of the School of Nutrition and Dietetics who teaches the Food Commodities course. Through observation, dialogue and in-depth interviews conducted with students, teaching assistants, community members, Market staff, faculty, and university administration, insights were derived that illuminate community engaged learning as a key strategy for teaching about local food systems that puts both food and community at the centre.

Cardiometabolic risk in students of the nutrition and dietetics career

The cardiometabolic risk describes the probabilities of a person to suffer a heart or blood vessels damages. Hence the relevance of determining this type of risk in the students of the Nutrition and Dietetics career of the Technical University of Babahoyo. For this purpose, indicators such as waist circumference, waist/height formula, sex, body mass index, waist-height index ICE, physical activity and inductive-deductive method were measured in a population of 100 students. It was found that the predominant nutritional status in female students is overweight and obesity. This indicates that 29% of female students have an increased cardiovascular risk. With regard to cardiometabolic risk, it was determined that female students had a rate of 36%, compared with male students with 11%. Keywords: cardiometabolic risk factors, overweight, obesity. References [1]Organización Mundial de la Salud, «www.who.int. Non communicable diseases,» 2018. [Online]. Available: https://www.who.int/es/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/non-communicable-diseases. [Last access: August 25, 2021]. [2]J. Maldonado, C. Carranza, M. Ortiz, C. Gómez and N.Cortés, «Prevalencia de factores de riesgo caardiometabólico en estudiantes de la Universidad de la región centroocidental en la Universidad Michoacana San Nicolás de Hidalgo. México,» SCIELO, vol. 24, nº 2, pp. 78-86, 2013. [3]M. Morales, «Influence of phisical activity and nutritional habits on the risk of metabolic syndrome,» SCIELO, vol. 6, 2016. [4]G. Morales, T. Castillo, S. Muñoz, C. Belma, A. Soto, I. Schifferli and F. Guillén, «Asociación entre factores de riesgo cardiometabólicos, actividad física y sedentarismo, » Nutrición Hospitalaria, vol. 34, nº 6, pp. 1345-1352, 2017. [5]Organización Mundial de la Salud, «Obesidad y sobrepeso,» 2021. [Online]. Available: https://www.who.int/es/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/obesity-and-overweight. [Last access: August 29, 2021]. [6]G. Bray, G. Fruhbeck, D. Ryan and J. Wilding, «Management of obesity,» Lancet, vol. 387, nº 7, pp. 1847-1956, 2016. [7]A. Caicedo Paliz, A. León Fierro and K. Zambrano Llaguno, Protocolo de diagnóstico y manejo multidisciplinario de pacientes con sobrepeso y obesidad en la consulta ambulatoria, Quito: Universidad San Francisco de Quito, 2021. [8]INEC, «Encuesta Nacional de Salud y Nutrición (ENSANUT),» INEC, Quito, 2018. [9]N. Britto Núñez and R. Alcázar Carett, «Obesidad y riesgo cardiometabólico. Revisión.,» CIMEL, vol. 16, nº 2, pp. 106-113, 2011. [10]J. Vandervelde, H. Savelberg, N. Schaper and A. Koster, «Moderate activity and fitness not sedentary time are independently associated with cardiometabolic risks in US adults aged 18-49,» Environ Resident Public Health, vol. 12, pp. 2330-2343, 2015. [11]V. Carson and I. Janssen, «Volume, patterns and types of sedentary behavior and cardiometabolic health children and adolescents: a cross sectional study,» BMC Public Health, vol. 186, pp. 186-195, 2011. [12] T. Rendo Urteaga, A. De Moraes, T. Callesse y T. Marrios, «The combined effect of physical activity and sedentary behaviors on a clustered cardiometabolic risks score. The Helena Study,» Internal Cardiology, vol. 186, pp. 186-195, 2015. [13]R. Monroy Torres, C. Aguiklera Juarez and J. Nares, «Riesgo cardiometabólico en adolescentes con y sin obesidad: variables metabólicas, nutricionales y consumo de refresco,» revista Mexicana de trastornos Alimentarios, vol. 9, nº 1, pp. 24-33, 2018. [14]OMS, «estrategia Mundial sobre el régimen alimentario, actividad física y salud,» 2017. [Online]. Available: https://www.who.int/diethysicactivity/pa/es.[Last access: August 30, 2021]. [15]A. Alvarado Sánchez, A. González Yebra and M. Macías, «Correlaciones de factores de riesgo cardiometabólicio e hipoactividad con indice corporal y circunferencia de cintura en trabajadores del sector cuero y calzado de la ciudad de León,» Jóvenes en la ciencia, vol. 3, nº 2, pp. 1-5, 2017. [16]SEEDO, «Consenso SEEDO para la evaluación del sobrepeso y la obesidad. Revista Española de Obesidad, » 2007. [Online]. Available: https://www.seedo.es/images/site/documentacionConsenso/Consenso_SEEDO_2007 pdf. [Last access: August 21, 2021].

Impostor Phenomenon in the Nutrition and Dietetics Profession: An Online Cross-Sectional Survey

BackgroundImpostor phenomenon (IP) (also known as impostor syndrome) describes high-achieving individuals who, despite their objective successes, fail to internalize their accomplishments and have persistent self-doubt and fear of being exposed as a fraud or impostor. Despite robust literature describing the effects of IP in other health care professions, there is an absence of research within the nutrition and dietetics profession.ObjectiveTo assess the prevalence and predictors of IP within the nutrition and dietetics students and practitioners.DesignAn online cross-sectional survey was conducted.Participants/setting1,015 students, dietetic interns, and currently practicing and retired nutrition and dietetic technicians registered, and registered dietitian nutritionists provided complete responses.Main outcome measuresImpostor phenomenon was assessed with the Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale (CIPS). Self-reported Job satisfaction and well-being were assessed using validated scales.Statistical analysesDescriptive statistics were summarized and reported using frequency counts and percentages. Unadjusted logistic regression models were used to assess the relationship between IP and sociodemographic outcomes, job satisfaction, and well-being.ResultsRespondents were primarily female, non-Hispanic White, and practicing dietitians. The average CIPS score was 66.0 ± 16.3 (range 22-99). 64% of survey respondents (n=655) experience intense or frequent IP and 62% (n=628) had a CIPS score ≥62. Older age, educational attainment, professional level, and membership in Academy groups were associated with lower IP scores. Greater Social media use was associated with higher IP scores. Job satisfaction and overall well-being were inversely correlated with impostor phenomenon (p<0.001).ConclusionsFindings from an online survey suggest that a majority of nutrition and dietetics students and practitioners experience IP. Our results reinforce the need to recognize and address this issue by raising awareness, using early prevention methods, and supporting individuals who are younger and/or new to the profession.

EVALUATION OF NUTRITIONAL KNOWLEDGE OF FEMALES MEDICAL STUDENTS AND NON-MEDICAL STUDENTS AT UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN SANAA CITY, YEMEN, 2018

Background:Nutritional knowledge plays a very important role in nutritional status. Evaluatenutritional knowledge among medical and non-medical female students at university of science and technology in Sanaa city, was the objective of present study. Methods: Cross-sectional study, was performed using a systematic random sampling technique. Data was collected by face-to-face interviews using pre-designed, semi-structured questionnaires on a period of two month from January to February 2019. Questionnaires was developed in two sections. The data was cleaned and coded then analyzed using SPSS version 21. Result: One hundred and twenty students were enrolled in this study. All of them were females. Their ages ranged between 18 years and 30 years. The most frequent age group (56.7%) was located between 21-23 years.Majority of students 100(83.3%) had good or excellent nutritional knowledge. Most of them 55(45.8%) were in clinical nutrition and dietetics department. In conclusion, students in clinical nutrition and dietetics department had better nutritional knowledge than students in English department. The difference was significant as indicated by Pearson Chi-Square (p value =.000),. There was also a significant correlation between nutritional knowledge with department, study year also attended nutritional courses(all p values < 0.05). Current findings suggest nutrition education curriculum is compulsory in every study field, and it is need for coordinated efforts to promote nutrition education programs among medical students in general and non-medical students in particularto improve nutritional knowledge of students.