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Abstract
The purpose of the project was to investigate registered dietitians practice in celiac disease. A random sample of 1,000 registered dietitian members of the American Dietetic Association was surveyed electronically. Data from 348 respondents (35% response rate) were analyzed using descriptive statistics to determine means and standard deviations; ANOVA, t-Tests and post hoc testing were conducted to determine differences between groups; and χ2 testing was performed to identify differences among groups. The majority of respondents were registered dietitians in clinical practice (86%), maintaining membership in at least one dietetic practice group (82%), with 9 or more years of experience (62%) holding at least a master's degree (47%), and having treated between one and eleven individuals with newly diagnosed celiac disease in the past year (67%). Respondents (n=348) were unable to correctly identify 68% (13/19) of conditions associated with celiac disease. Mean knowledge of conditions (M=10.18, SD=5.00) and symptoms (M=8.48, SD=3.621) associated with celiac disease as well as grains/flours included in a gluten-free diet (M=14.758 SD=7.391) was higher in respondents with membership in the Medical Nutrition Practice Group than other dietetic practice groups, (M=6.42, SD=4.180); (M=5.77, SD=4.101); (M=10.442, SD=7.465), respectively. Sixty-six percent of respondents were somewhat or very interested in obtaining an advanced practice doctorate in clinical nutrition. Interest in obtaining an advanced practice doctorate in clinical nutrition was highest in respondents with 9 years or more of experience (M=0.886, SD=0.275 than those with 3 years or less (M=0.883, SD=0.264). Respondents thought courses important to include in a clinical nutrition practice doctorate curriculum were Evidence Based Nutrition Diagnosis, (p<0.05); Supervised Practice, (p<0.05); and Advanced Molecular Nutrition, (p<0.05). Findings in the present study support the need for registered dietitians in clinical practice treating individuals with celiac disease to be advanced practice. Further, registered dietitians are interested in a clinical nutrition practice doctorate with an emphasis on celiac disease.
