Fall opens the door to an academic year for students, teachers, and professors. For Topics in Clinical Nutrition (TICN), it often yields new projects and manuscripts for the journal. The review process begins with advice from our Editorial Board. Special appreciation goes to the dozens of practitioners, educators, and researchers who thoughtfully contribute to the articles published in this journal.
Clinical nutrition managers (CNM) are key to the success of nutrition services in health care institutions. Sauer et al report their project on validating job satisfaction factors for clinical nutrition managers. Their work expands on a prior instrument they devised and tested with 24 factors condensed into 9 job satisfaction factors. With this validation conducted by a CNM sample, they describe the process for readers and their plan to use the job satisfaction instrument with a larger population of clinical nutrition managers.
The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine became the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health in 2014. The project by Novotny and Novik used complementary and alternative medicine therapies in the project for comparative purposes. They surveyed 90 undergraduate students in their dietetics classes and found favorable attitudes toward complementary therapies, particularly nutritional supplements and herbal medicine.
Schumacher and Davis devised a survey to compare the eating habits of registered dietitians (RDs), specifically in relation to adherence to the 2010 version of the US Dietary Guidelines. More than 1000 Wisconsin RDs were approached for participation, and 7% completed the survey. On the basis of their findings, they found that lower body mass indexes were reported by RDs who adhered to more than 90% of the dietary guidelines.
Gibbs et al tested an interprofessional simulation model for improving communication and nutrition care process skills between dietetic and nursing students. Using three case simulations, they were able to demonstrate some skill development. More research is warranted to validate a tool that could measure clinical judgment in dietetics.
Pogge conducted a pilot study in a retail food market as a precursor to interprofessional collaboration and as an introduction to possible intensive behavioral treatment. Student pairs-a nutrition student and a pharmacy student-collected screening data and provided education on control of weight, blood pressure, glucose, and cholesterol as needed by individual consumers. The pilot program could be a good model for health screening and education in a food market.
The average age of the population has increased worldwide, triggering a need for new approaches to chronic disease management and disability. Chronic conditions affecting older adults-osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, macular degeneration-require access to healthy food. According to Vega, evidence-based nutrition interventions are more important than ever to "optimize" nutritional heath. Dietitians should play a prominent role in health promotion and disease control for older adults.
Garcia et al conducted a consumer study of 104 healthy adults. A taste test of commercially prethickened water products were evaluated for acceptability and preference. With 61% of the adults younger than 45 years, taste preferences were for the starch-based products; gum-based products were preferred for appearance. To increase nutritional intakes for individuals with swallowing difficulties, more research needs to be done to improve consumer acceptance.
Kellett et al investigated 2 residential aged care facilities in Australia to evaluate the prevalence of malnutrition using the Subjective Global Assessment tool. Only 4 of 57 residents were severely malnourished, with two-thirds well nourished. No relationship was found between malnutrition status and age or gender. They also found that prevention of malnutrition was higher for those residents who received high levels of care.
A book review by Rachel Fine, MS, RD, completes this issue of TICN. The monographs, Choose Your Foods, offered in both "Food Lists for Weight Management" and "Food Lists for Diabetes" versions, are collaborative efforts from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the American Diabetes Association.
-Judith A. Gilbride, PhD, RDN, FAND
Editor