International perspectives: The profession of dietetics

A survey about the professional characteristics of dietetics practice was m ailed to 109 countries and representatives from 61 countries responded. Usi ng the Human Development Index (HDI), a measure that reflects the life expe ctancy, education, and income of the population of each nation, countries w ere categorized as high, medium, or low HDI. This allowed comparisons among the HDI scores in the areas of education, professional practice, education , and practice competencies. Responding countries were 36.1% high HDI, 49.2 % middle HDI, 8.2% low HDT, and 6.6% were unclassified. Dietetics was a nat ionally recognized profession in 81% of countries, with most having a profe ssional association that represented dieticians. Clinical dietetics was the most frequently selected area of practice, followed by food service. Under graduate academic programs in dietetics were available in 79% of countries and 49% offered graduate degrees. Most respondents rated competencies in cl inical and community nutrition, along with competencies in professional pra ctice, as important to their work. The results of this study can serve as a baseline as the profession evolves. Leaders in the dietetics profession ca n use these results to identify areas that need improvement. Collaboration with the United Nations family and sources that fund global initiatives can help in providing resources for the advancement of the profession. When th e effectiveness of dietitians is improved, favorable changes in nutritional well-being on the global level can be expected. (C) Elsevier Science Inc. 2001.