Experiences of financial stress on health, wellbeing and food insecurity among student dietitians on unpaid mandatory student placements.

Aims: Unpaid mandatory student placements are common among allied health disciplines. This qualitative study aimed to specifically explore the student dietitian experiences of and perspective on financial stress and food insecurity during unpaid mandatory student placements as well as describe any related impacts on their health and wellbeing.

Methods: Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with student dietitians living in Australia and New Zealand. Participants had self-nominated for interviews from a larger interprofessional mixed method study on student placement poverty. Inductive thematic analysis involving coding, categorisation, theme development and refinement was used to generate themes.

Results: A total of 11 interviews were undertaken. Most students were female, studying full-time and living in Queensland, New South Wales and New Zealand. All students had undertaken at least one unpaid placement. Thematic analysis of the student experience of placement generated five key themes and 18 subthemes. The key themes were (1) Overall Wellbeing on Placement, (2) Financial Security, (3) Social Support, (4) Income Sources and (5) Course Structure. Overall, unpaid placements had a significant impact on the ability of students to maintain their overall wellbeing whilst on placement. This included impacts on financial security. There was noted to be substantial cognitive dissonance between high levels of nutrition knowledge and the inability to maintain their own food security.

Conclusion: These findings highlight that unpaid mandatory student placements (especially those requiring full-time attendance) represent a major challenge for student dietitians, with implications for student physical and mental wellbeing and future diversity within the profession of dietetics.