Nutrition and dietetic students’ knowledge and attitudes regarding food science and technology

Abstract

The objective of this study was to assess knowledge and attitudes of nutrition and dietetic college students regarding food science and technology. It was designed as a cross-sectional survey using a self-administered online questionnaire, constructed by a formative research process, including accredited dietetics programs in the United States and Puerto Rico. There were a total of 535 participants consisting of adult (≥18 years old) nutrition and dietetic students (undergraduate, graduate, and dietetic interns). Frequencies and percentages were calculated to describe the study participants. Where appropriate, the Chi-square test was used to test categorical variables across two or more levels. More than half (55.1%) agreed that they were knowledgeable in food science and technology. Greater than half (56.8%) of the participants indicated that they “occasionally” or “rarely” covered food science and technology topics in their current program and 70.1% either “agreed” or “strongly agreed” that their current curriculum could benefit from adding more related topics. Overall, the majority (66.7%) of respondents indicated their overall impression of the food industry was “poor” or “neutral.” The results support adding/strengthening food science and technology components in nutrition curricula. Such education may provide future nutrition professionals with the knowledge and skills needed to effectively utilize food science and technology within their field.