Thesis (M.S.)--Ohio University, November, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 77-97)

Thesis (M.S.)--Ohio University, November, 2004. / Title from PDF t.p. Includes bibliographical references (p. 77-97)

Less than 5% of registered dietitians are African-American individuals. Little has been done to investigate reasons for the paucity of African-American professionals in the dietetics field. The specific aim of this study was, therefore, to explore facilitators and barriers to the selection of dietetics as a major by African-American students. Individual elicitation interviews and focus group discussions with African-American students currently enrolled as dietetics and non-dietetics majors at Virginia Tech were conducted. It was hypothesized that African-American students who chose to major in dietetics did so primarily for altruistic reasons, whereas African-American students who did not major in dietetics did so, in part, because of a lack of awareness of the major. Forty African-American students (mean ± SD age = 21.4 ± 1.4 years) participated in individual elicitation interviews and focus group discussions. Hypotheses were supported. In addition, personal interest was indicated by both dietetics and non-dietetics students as a factor in selection of major. Non-dietetics students believed that barriers to the selection of dietetics as a major included poor advertising and poor recruitment efforts. Directors of didactic programs in dietetics may need to create more visible recruitment and retention programs to increase the number of African-American students majoring in dietetics. / Master of Science

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.

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