Background: Breastfeeding is known to have many benefits for both mothers and infants. With the Surgeon General's Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding, health professionals have increased their attention on breastfeeding competency. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate breastfeeding curricula that are currently being covered in didactic programs in dietetics (DPDs) and dietetic internships (DIs) across the United States. Methods: Two-part surveys were sent to all directors of DPDs and DIs (n=475) with instructions to forward the second portion of the survey to instructors of classes that taught about breastfeeding. Qualtrics software was used for data collection. Descriptive statistics were used to illustrate what was currently being done to educate students about breastfeeding. Two independent researchers used qualitative analysis to categorize course names that were provided as a free response. Results: Over 80% of DPDs taught the topics of other components of human milk and breastfeeding and health for infants most thoroughly. The topic of breastfeeding and health for infants was taught most completely in DIs (65%). Course instructors had an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant teach part of the breastfeeding material about a fourth of the time (DPDs=26.8%; DIs=21.9%). Interns participated in breastfeeding counseling the most during WIC rotations (DIs=90%). Course instructors usually taught about breastfeeding themselves (DPDs=91%; DIs=44%) and used lectures in their instruction (DPDs=93%; DIs=75%). Conclusion: This research provides background in the current status of breastfeeding curricula in DPDs and DIs across the United States. This knowledge could be used to determine standards for breastfeeding curricula, implement improvements to breastfeeding curricula, and set precedence for further evaluations in DPDs and DIs.

OBJECTIVE: The effects of a computer-assisted instruction (CAI) tutorial program on learning clinical reasoning skills were compared in undergraduate dietetics students. DESIGN: A drill-and-practice program to control for time on task, and tutorial program, and a simulation program, as the test vehicle, were developed. The tutorial and simulation programs presented data on a patient with cardiovascular disease. SETTING: Subjects were tested in 30 undergraduate dietetics programs. SUBJECTS: Participants were 413 undergraduate diet therapy students enrolled in a coordinated program in dietetics (CPD) or a didactic program in dietetics (DPD). INTERVENTION: After completion of lectures on cardiovascular disease, subjects were given the drill-and-practice program plus a simulation test (group 1), the tutorial plus a simulation test (group 2), or the simulation test only (group 3). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Scores on the simulation test were compared. Variables included type of CAI, dietetics program, year in school, computer experience, and experience using a medical chart. Mastery of objectives related to lower- and higher-level clinical reasoning skills introduced in the tutorial program was computed. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: One-way analysis of variance and Student-Newman Keuls tests were conducted to determine any differences among the three groups. Reliability was determined using the Kuder-Richardson Formula 20. RESULTS: The reliability coefficient of the stimulation test was 0.93. Group 2 higher on the simulation test than group 1 or group 3. As a group, the CPD students scored higher than the DPD students. When CPD and DPD students were divided into the three experimental groups, there was no significant difference between the CPD and DPD student simulation scores. Group 2 mastered all objectives for lower-level reasoning skills and the higher-level decision-making objective better than groups 1 and 3. APPLICATIONS/CONCLUSIONS: A computer tutorial program enhanced clinical reasoning skills in undergraduate dietetics students. This type of program could be used to supplement many topics taught in diet therapy and provide DPD students with experimental learning before their clinical intern practicums.

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