The aim of this study is to conduct validity and reliability testing of a new tool, the Dietetics Profession Privilege Assessment Tool. The purpose of the tool is to measure an individual's relative advantage as a dietetics professional to develop self-awareness in order to improve one's own cultural humility. We hypothesize that dietetics profession privilege is related to other types of dominant group privilege, like white privilege, cis-gender privilege, socioeconomic privilege. Privileges in each of these areas manifest differently and contribute to one's overall privilege and perceived “fit” within the profession.

MyPlate is a visual icon developed by the Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) in 2011 to serve as the primary educational resource for communicating and promoting the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) to the public. The aim of our study is to assess if people of different cultures feel that MyPlate represents the way they eat. Our hypothesis is that there is a significant difference between the number of white people and BIPOC that feel like MyPlate represents how they themselves or their culture consume meals. Such a finding would provide important preliminary data to support further research aimed at 1) exploring specific discrepancies between how BIPOC consume meals traditionally and MyPlate recommendation and 2) ideate more culturally inclusive icons and tools for the translation of DGA to consumers.

The usual modes of operation within dietetics are from a white perspective, making whiteness appear benign, normal, and even ideal. People who identify as white, as a result, might feel that they “fit in” to the profession and practice more than people who do not identify as white. This issue is a big one: it’s more problematic than just culture fit because there are ways in which white norms harm the profession and perpetuate bias. This study explores how “behind the scenes” operations within dietetics maintains white power within the profession and limit the participation of people of color – in leadership and practice.

The usual modes of operation within dietetics are from a white perspective, making whiteness appear benign, normal, and even ideal. People who identify as white, as a result, might feel that they “fit in” to the profession and practice more than people who do not identify as white. This issue is a big one: it’s more problematic than just culture fit because there are ways in which white norms harm the profession and perpetuate bias. This study explores how “behind the scenes” operations within dietetics maintains white power within the profession and limit the participation of people of color – in leadership and practice.

In 2020, there was a lot of communication from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and ACEND about diversity in the dietetics profession. The Academy began an investigation into diversity through the Diversity and Inclusion Action Committee and ACEND proposed new 2022 program standards related to diversity, equity and inclusion competencies, policies, and practices. However, no one has assessed what Program Directors (PDs) are currently doing, nor what our attitudes are toward this work. The purpose of this research study is to understand Program Directors beliefs and practices related to diversity, equity, and inclusion in accredited dietetics' programs.

In 2020, there was a lot of communication from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and ACEND about diversity in the dietetics profession. The Academy began an investigation into diversity through the Diversity and Inclusion Action Committee and ACEND proposed new 2022 program standards related to diversity, equity and inclusion competencies, policies, and practices. However, no one has assessed what Program Directors (PDs) are currently doing, nor what our attitudes are toward this work. The purpose of this research study is to understand Program Directors beliefs and practices related to diversity, equity, and inclusion in accredited dietetics' programs.

Given limited racial/ethnic diversity and LGBTQ+ representation among Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs), RDNs in clinical settings are ill-equipped to provide culturally humble medical nutrition therapy to persons from marginalized groups, who are most affected by diet-related chronic health conditions. At NewYork-Presbyterian Weill Cornell (NYP WC), a large medical center in New York City, clinical dietitians formed a diversity action committee in June 2020 to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion within the clinical nutrition department. Objectives include: increase recruitment and retention of dietetic interns and RDNs from marginalized groups; increase nutrition staff awareness about issues related to systemic discrimination and bias; and identify opportunities to optimize and coordinate care within NYP WC nutrition services for patients from marginalized racial/ethnic and LGBTQ+ groups. To achieve these objectives, 4 pillars of focus were identified: staff hiring, dietetic internship, staff education, and patient education and access. The short-term outcomes identified include: increasing awareness of the dietetics profession and NYP WC’s dietetic internship among marginalized racial/ethnic and LGBTQ+ students, reducing the financial burden of the dietetic internship for marginalized students, and improving staff awareness of unconscious bias and access to culturally sensitive nutrition materials. The long-term outcomes identified include: recruiting and retaining more diverse RDNs (for new hires and dietetic interns) and providing more culturally humble and sensitive care to diverse patient populations and communities.

Given limited racial/ethnic diversity and LGBTQ+ representation among Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs), RDNs in clinical settings are ill-equipped to provide culturally humble medical nutrition therapy to persons from marginalized groups, who are most affected by diet-related chronic health conditions. At NewYork-Presbyterian Weill Cornell (NYP WC), a large medical center in New York City, clinical dietitians formed a diversity action committee in June 2020 to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion within the clinical nutrition department. Objectives include: increase recruitment and retention of dietetic interns and RDNs from marginalized groups; increase nutrition staff awareness about issues related to systemic discrimination and bias; and identify opportunities to optimize and coordinate care within NYP WC nutrition services for patients from marginalized racial/ethnic and LGBTQ+ groups. To achieve these objectives, 4 pillars of focus were identified: staff hiring, dietetic internship, staff education, and patient education and access. The short-term outcomes identified include: increasing awareness of the dietetics profession and NYP WC’s dietetic internship among marginalized racial/ethnic and LGBTQ+ students, reducing the financial burden of the dietetic internship for marginalized students, and improving staff awareness of unconscious bias and access to culturally sensitive nutrition materials. The long-term outcomes identified include: recruiting and retaining more diverse RDNs (for new hires and dietetic interns) and providing more culturally humble and sensitive care to diverse patient populations and communities.

Food processing is not well understood by the general public and is not a required or common components of dietetics programs nationally. However, research increasingly indicates that diets high in processed foods are correlated with worse health, resulting in higher rates of diet-related chronic disease. The purpose of this RCT pilot study is to understand if a decision tree helps dietetic students identify processed foods based on their labels and ingredient lists.

Food processing is not well understood by the general public and is not a required or common components of dietetics programs nationally. However, research increasingly indicates that diets high in processed foods are correlated with worse health, resulting in higher rates of diet-related chronic disease. The purpose of this RCT pilot study is to understand if a decision tree helps dietetic students identify processed foods based on their labels and ingredient lists.

The objective in this pilot study is to determine how adequately prepared nutrition professionals who demonstrate an interest in diversity, equality, and inclusion feel interacting with patients of different identities. This small sample study surveys members of #InclusiveDietetics, identified as “early adopters” (Diffusion of Innovations theory).

The objective in this pilot study is to determine how adequately prepared nutrition professionals who demonstrate an interest in diversity, equality, and inclusion feel interacting with patients of different identities. This small sample study surveys members of #InclusiveDietetics, identified as “early adopters” (Diffusion of Innovations theory).

With the goal of reducing rates of diet-related chronic disease, thousands of nutrition programs implemented in the United States serve communities and community members in a variety of settings. However, little is known about who is doing on-the-ground nutrition education. While some community nutrition educators are credentialed professional (e.g., Registered Dietitian Nutritionists or Nutrition and Dietetic Technicians, Registered) with who provide supervision and training, paraprofessionals are also hired from the community to enhance the effectiveness of the program through familiarity and building rapport with their audience. These paraprofessionals do not necessarily hold advanced degrees or credentials in nutrition, yet they play a significant role in providing nutrition education to the public. They are the face of nutrition programs and likely viewed as experts by those receiving the program. We hypothesize that people of color are doing the CNE paraprofessional work with little or no opportunity for advanced training, professional mobility, or support from an advocacy group. Advancement for CNEs may be unattainable without significant investment in a DPD program if one is geographically available to them. Hindrance of elevation within the nutrition profession can have restricting effects such as reduced pay. Yet, despite this inequity, a study has shown that increased CNE job satisfaction is strongly associated with the intrinsically motivating work that comes with the domain of community nutrition, despite pay.2 This study hopes to explore the work of CNEs as nutrition professionals and equity within the entire nutrition profession.

With the goal of reducing rates of diet-related chronic disease, thousands of nutrition programs implemented in the United States serve communities and community members in a variety of settings. However, little is known about who is doing on-the-ground nutrition education. While some community nutrition educators are credentialed professional (e.g., Registered Dietitian Nutritionists or Nutrition and Dietetic Technicians, Registered) with who provide supervision and training, paraprofessionals are also hired from the community to enhance the effectiveness of the program through familiarity and building rapport with their audience. These paraprofessionals do not necessarily hold advanced degrees or credentials in nutrition, yet they play a significant role in providing nutrition education to the public. They are the face of nutrition programs and likely viewed as experts by those receiving the program. We hypothesize that people of color are doing the CNE paraprofessional work with little or no opportunity for advanced training, professional mobility, or support from an advocacy group. Advancement for CNEs may be unattainable without significant investment in a DPD program if one is geographically available to them. Hindrance of elevation within the nutrition profession can have restricting effects such as reduced pay. Yet, despite this inequity, a study has shown that increased CNE job satisfaction is strongly associated with the intrinsically motivating work that comes with the domain of community nutrition, despite pay.2 This study hopes to explore the work of CNEs as nutrition professionals and equity within the entire nutrition profession.

The new coronavirus 2019 disease (COVID-19) has a high rate of infectivity, complications, and mortality, and the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted essential services in hospitals, long-term care facilities, rehabilitation institutions, and hospital/medical suppliers worldwide. In order to minimize contact with infected hospitalized patients or exposure to COVID-19, many health systems have reduced in-person access to hospitals and outpatient clinics, possibly impeding effective nutrition care, especially for those without reliable internet access for telehealth visits. Additionally, shortages in enteral nutrition (EN) formulas or various elements of parenteral nutrition (PN) solutions may also hinder care. Furthermore, patients who are African American/Black, Latino, Indigenous, or People of Color (BIPOC) and other underrepresented minorities are at higher risk of COVID-19 exposure, systemic racism and related health inequities, and clinical consequences. The potential impact of systemic racism during the COVID-19 pandemic within the health care setting has not been well characterized. Thus, we hypothesize that overall access to nutrition support therapy has been reduced during the pandemic and that systemic racism within health care settings plays a role in the reduction of nutrition support access among BIPOC patients. In a cross-sectional web-based survey, we will evaluate the association of perceived systemic racism on the provision of nutrition support during the COVID-19 pandemic by querying patients or their caregivers.

The new coronavirus 2019 disease (COVID-19) has a high rate of infectivity, complications, and mortality, and the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted essential services in hospitals, long-term care facilities, rehabilitation institutions, and hospital/medical suppliers worldwide. In order to minimize contact with infected hospitalized patients or exposure to COVID-19, many health systems have reduced in-person access to hospitals and outpatient clinics, possibly impeding effective nutrition care, especially for those without reliable internet access for telehealth visits. Additionally, shortages in enteral nutrition (EN) formulas or various elements of parenteral nutrition (PN) solutions may also hinder care. Furthermore, patients who are African American/Black, Latino, Indigenous, or People of Color (BIPOC) and other underrepresented minorities are at higher risk of COVID-19 exposure, systemic racism and related health inequities, and clinical consequences. The potential impact of systemic racism during the COVID-19 pandemic within the health care setting has not been well characterized. Thus, we hypothesize that overall access to nutrition support therapy has been reduced during the pandemic and that systemic racism within health care settings plays a role in the reduction of nutrition support access among BIPOC patients. In a cross-sectional web-based survey, we will evaluate the association of perceived systemic racism on the provision of nutrition support during the COVID-19 pandemic by querying patients or their caregivers.

This is a pilot study of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among Bronx residents enrolled at CUNY's Hebert H. Lehman College (HLC). We explored overall concerns regarding COVID-19 and the vaccine; beliefs and barriers to access the vaccine; motivators to get vaccinated; reasons for hesitancy; and sources of information among a random sample of faculty and students from HLC.

This is a pilot study of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among Bronx residents enrolled at CUNY's Hebert H. Lehman College (HLC). We explored overall concerns regarding COVID-19 and the vaccine; beliefs and barriers to access the vaccine; motivators to get vaccinated; reasons for hesitancy; and sources of information among a random sample of faculty and students from HLC.

The COVID-19 Pandemic has impacted society in a number of ways. Lehman College was suddenly closed and all courses were converted to fully online. Using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), the impacts of this experience on faculty and students is being investigated. This study explores experiences at three timepoints in the Bronx, NY: during the onset when NYC was the epicenter and most of the US was sheltering-in-place (April 2020), six months later (Oct 2020), and 1 year later (April 2021).

The COVID-19 Pandemic has impacted society in a number of ways. Lehman College was suddenly closed and all courses were converted to fully online. Using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), the impacts of this experience on faculty and students is being investigated. This study explores experiences at three timepoints in the Bronx, NY: during the onset when NYC was the epicenter and most of the US was sheltering-in-place (April 2020), six months later (Oct 2020), and 1 year later (April 2021).

Dietetic professionals are critical levers to improve R-DEI, which is embedded in higher education through dietetic education and internship programs. The degree to which dietetics professionals (who are mostly white) are aware of the lack of racial/ethnic diversity, equity, inclusion (R-DEI) or the ways in which Black, Indigenous, or People of Color (BIPOC) experience structural racism (i.e. barriers) to entering the profession is unknown. However, if dietetic professionals are not aware of barriers or of what systemic (and other covert forms of) racism look like, it is unlikely they will prioritize diversity enough to realize change. This pilot study has two aims; first, to understand how knowledge, actions, identity, and experiences are related to beliefs about R-DEI among dietetic professionals and secondly, to explore changes in knowledge, opinions, beliefs, and actions associated with an R-DEI curriculum based on the Transtheoretical Model (Stages of Change) and Critical Race Theory, delivered on social media.