Effects of Job Stress on Job Satisfaction in School Dieticians and Nutrition Teacher: Focus on the Moderating Effect of Interpersonal Relationship Type

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of job stress on job satisfaction according to interpersonal relationship type among school dieticians and nutrition teachers. The online survey was conducted from Oct. 26th to Nov. 7th, 2017 in 2,000 randomly selected dieticians and nutrition teachers in the capital area. A total of 453 collected questionnaires were used for analysis. SPSS v.21.0 Statistical Package Program was used for the statistical process. For the results regarding interpersonal relationship type of dieticians, open-type (73.3%) was the highest, followed by self-assertive-type (23.0%), isolated-type (2.6%), and careful-type (1.1%). Regarding overall job satisfaction, ‘human relation’ was the highest, followed by ‘job itself’, ‘working environment’, and ‘personal rating & welfare system’, in that order. According to interpersonal relationship type, in the case of ‘open-type’ or ‘careful-type’, job satisfaction was relatively high. Regarding overall job stress, ‘job demand’ was the highest, followed by ‘lack of reward’, ‘organizational system’, ‘interpersonal conflict’, ‘occupational climate’, ‘job insecurity’, and ‘insufficient job control’, in that order. In accordance with interpersonal relationship type, overall job stress index was high in terms of ‘self-assertive-type’ or ‘careful-type’. For the results of analyzing the correlation between job satisfaction and job stress index, all areas showed statistically significant negative correlations. Multiple regression analysis was performed to study the effects of job stress on job satisfaction mediating interpersonal relationship type. Job stress had different effects on job satisfaction in terms of ‘open-type’ and ‘self-assertive type’. In conclusion, different strategies are needed for dieticians with different interpersonal relationship types to improve job satisfaction and to reduce job stress.

Perception of Sugar Reduction and Added Sugar Use among Dietitians or Nutrition Teachers in Gyeonggi and Incheon

The purpose of this study was to investigate dietitians or nutrition teachers' perception of sugar reduction and usage of sugars in school meal service. A survey was conducted for dietitians or nutrition teachers at elementary, middle, and high schools in Gyeonggi and Incheon. Survey data were analyzed according to the experience period and school types of dietitians or nutrition teachers. The numbers of subjects according to work experience period were 134 (44.2%) for < 5 years, 68 (22.4%) for ≥5 and < 10 years, and 101 (33.3%) for ≥10 years. Among the subjects, 168 (55.4%) were nutrition teachers at kindergarten/elementary schools, and 135 (44.6%) were at middle/high/special schools. Perceptions of sugar reduction programs were higher in kindergarten/elementary schools than in middle/high/special schools. The perception of added sugar use increased with more work experience, and interest in sugar reduction was higher in kindergarten/elementary schools than in middle/high/special schools. Practice for added sugar reduction increased with more work experience, and the most common method for reducing sugar was use of natural sugars. The main reason for not reducing added sugars in school meals was due to preference. Nutritional education for students increased with more work experience and was higher in kindergarten/elementary schools than in middle/high/special schools. The major nutritional education methods were using school homepage (37.4%), sending family letters (37.4%), and using principle's discretion time (18.4%). Organic sugar and rice taffy were used more at kindergarten/elementary schools, and white sugar, brown sugar, and white syrup were used more at middle/high/special schools. The most common menu using added sugars was stir-fried dishes (stir-fried pork, chicken, and vegetables).

Investigation of Status of School Nutrition Education and Changes in Perception of Nutrition Teacher's Job

The purpose of this study was to investigate the status of school nutrition education and changes in perception of nutrition teacher's job in order to determine the need for redesign to achieve their ideal job. The questionnaire was distributed to 1,550 nutrition teachers, and a total of 1,487 usable data were collected with a 96% response rate from August to December 2015. Statistical data analysis was completed by using SPSS/Win 21.0 for descriptive analysis. The results were as follows: 45.5% of nutrition teachers periodically implemented nutrition education classes, and 32.7% of responses used creative activity times for nutrition and dietary life education. Various topics were taught such as strategies to improve dietary habits, choice of healthy foods and nutrition labeling, nutrition information, food safety, and environmental problems, etc. Current performance ratios of nutrition teacher's duties and tasks were as follows: nutrition operation 31.3%, foodservice hygiene and safety 28.0%, nutrition management 22.7%, nutrition and dietary life education and counselling 11.6%, and professional development 6.4%. Opinions about ideal job performance of nutrition teachers were investigated to determine needs for job redesign. Two in nutrition management duty tasks and four foodservice management duties duty tasks were reduced. On the other hand, another two nutrition management duty tasks and three nutrition and dietary life education and counselling tasks were increased compared to current job performance.

Phenomenological Analysis of Barrier Factors Affecting Nutrition Education Jobs of Nutrition Teachers

The purpose of this study was to understand barrier factors affecting nutrition education jobs and determining priorities according to frequency of occurrence of obstacles. Focus group interview (FGI) was conducted on 11 nutrition teachers, and the result are summarized by the phenomenological analysis method. The barriers of nutrition education consisted of three categories, seven themes, and 10 sub-themes. The three categories were divided into work burden, recognition of nutrition education, and limitations of the nutrition education environment. Recognition of nutrition education was further divided into internal recognition from nutrition teachers and individual and external recognition from students and staff. The results showed that the most frequent barrier experienced by nutrition teachers in the work burden category was heavy work loads of foodservice management, followed by irrational working environment. In addition, limitations of the nutrition education environment consisted of absence of standard curriculum and textbooks, inadequate education infrastructure, and inadequate class time. To improve this, it is necessary to reduce nutrition teacher's food service management and develop standard curriculum and educational materials for nutrition education.

Current status of dietary education in elementary, middle and high school in Gyeonggi province: Comparison according to school level and placement of nutrition teacher / 한국영양학회지

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the current status of dietary education carried out by dieticians or nutrition teachers at elementary, middle, and high schools in Gyeonggi province. We compared dietary education status not only among school level but also between dieticians and nutrition teachers. METHODS: The survey using self-administered questionnaires was conducted by dieticians or nutrition teachers at 91 schools (43 elementary schools, 33 middle schools, and 15 high schools) in Gyeonggi province in December, 2015. The questionnaire consisted of questions regarding general characteristics of respondents, current status of dietary education, opinion about dietary education methods, and cooperation level of persons concerned. RESULTS: The placement rate of nutrition teachers was 50.5% overall. Only 36 out of 91 schools conducted regular dietary education, and the percentage of schools conducting regular dietary education was significantly different according to school level with the lowest percentage in high schools, equivalent to 20% (p = 0.003). The average annual dietary education time was 12.4 hours, and it was very low in high schools (5.1 hours) and in schools without a nutrition teacher (1.6 hours). The levels of cooperation and support from principals, teachers, parents, and students were significantly lower in high schools than elementary and middle schools (all p < 0.001) and in schools without a nutrition teacher than schools with a nutrition teacher (all p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The results show that the level of dietary education is not enough and needs to be improved, especially at middle and high schools and at schools without a nutrition teacher. Government support polices need to be implemented to encourage dietary educational activities.

Effect of Nutrition Teachers' Work Load and Job Tention on Job Satisfaction

The purpose of this study was to examine nutrition teachers' workload, job tension, and job satisfaction. Specifically, this study investigated the influence of nutrition teachers' workload and job tension on job satisfaction. A self-administered survey was distributed via online to 240 school nutrition teachers, in Korea, from July 16 to September 5, 2016. A total of 132 respondents completed the survey. The survey asked respondents for the time required for each task, job tension, job satisfaction, and demographic information. The findings of the study indicated that nutrition teachers spent most of their time on foodservice operation/ management. Among factors affecting job satisfaction, amount of work showed the lowest score. Job tension (P<0.001) of school nutrition teachers and amount of work (P<0.01) negatively affected their job satisfaction. Moreover 'kind of work' (P<0.001), 'future of career' (0.01), and 'amount of work' (0.05) were the factors significantly affecting job satisfaction. The study offers implications for governmental policies which can improve school nutrition teachers' satisfaction with their job duties.

Food Allergy Management Status by Dietitians and Nutrition Teachers in Elementary and Middle Schools in Incheon / 대한지역사회영양학회지

OBJECTIVES: Food allergy appears to be increasing in prevalence and can potentially result in significant damaging impact on children's mental and physical health. This study investigated how dietitians/nutrition teachers in Incheon, where a fatal fool allergy incidence occurred, manage food allergy issues in school lunch systems. METHODS: A survey with a pre-tested questionnaire was conducted with 358 dietitians/nutrition teachers in Incheon area. The final analytical sample included questionnaire data from 208 study participants (58.1%). Statistical analyses used SPSS ver 19.0. RESULTS: A total of 99.5% respondents reported having received food allergy education. The respondents showed a correction rate of the food allergy test slightly higher than 70%, where nutrition teachers and respondents working in elementary schools had correction rates higher than dietitians and those working in middle schools (p<0.05). All respondents reported regular monitoring to identify students with food allergy and making notification of allergy-prone foods on menu in their school. More nutrition teachers provided "elimination meals" (57.6%) or "replacement meals" (37.0%) than dietitians (43.1%, 19.8%, respectively) (p<0.05). Elimination and replacement meals were provided more in elementary schools than in middle schools (p<0.05). Although counseling students with food allergy on nutrition was done by 64.9% of respondents, the areas of counseling were limited to basics of food allergy and how to use the notification system on menu. To prepare for handling food allergy events effectively, networks with regional clinics or hospitals (34.1%), hotline with parents (87.4%), and keeping an Epi-Pen ready (46.7% elementary school) were established. Only 34.1% of respondents knew how to use Epi-Pens. CONCLUSIONS: Dietitians and nutrition teachers in Incheon widely adapted food allergy management methods. It appears that education/training on food allergy for dietitians/nutrition teachers can move on from teaching basics of food allergy to providing applicable food allergy management methods at school system.

Status and Need Assessment on Nutrition & Dietary Life Education among Nutrition Teachers in Elementary, Middle and High Schools / 대한지역사회영양학회지

OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to investigate the status and need for nutrition and dietary life education among nutrition teachers at schools. These characteristics were analyzed if they were different between elementary schools and middle-high schools. METHODS: Subjects were 151 nutrition teachers from 70 elementary schools, 41 middle schools and 40 high schools in 17 cities nationwide selected by two-stage stratified cluster sampling process. Survey questionnaires included the items on general characteristics, status and need assessment for nutrition and dietary life education. Chi-square test or t-test was used for data analysis by school groups. RESULTS: Nutrition education was implemented at 65.7% of elementary schools and 51.9% of middle-high schools. Nutrition education was mainly performed in 'discretionary activities·extracurricular activities' at elementary school and through 'newsletters, school homepage, foodservice bulletin board' at middle-high school (p<0.001). The most needed topic for nutrition education in nutrition teachers was 'healthy dietary habits and table manners' and this was not significantly different by school groups. Responses on adequate frequency (p<0.01), methods used for nutrition education (p<001), materials for nutrition education (p<0.001), information sources for nutrition education (p<0.001) were significantly different by school groups. Major tasks for activating nutrition education included 'securing the time for implementing nutrition education by reducing work loads' and 'developing standardized nutrition education materials' in schools. CONCLUSIONS: Nutrition education at schools might be activated by improving working conditions of nutrition teachers and developing the practical programs that reflect the needs of nutrition teachers.

Development of Job Description of Nutrition Teacher by the DACUM Method

The purpose of this study is to provide a standard job description for a nutrition teacher placed in primary and secondary schools by analyzing their duties. DACUM is an acronym for 'Developing A CUrriculuM'. It was used by experts to determine the job duties, tasks and task elements to establish the job descriptions of a nutrition teachers through the development of a DACUM chart. An expert panel consisting of 10 nutrition teachers participated in a DACUM workshop and derived nutrition teacher's DACUM chart. A total of 1,550 nutrition teachers across the country were targeted as the survey subjects for validation of the DACUM chart through their perception of the frequency, importance, and difficulty of each item in the job description. A tree structure, criticality analysis, and contents validity index were added for verification. The definition of the nutrition teacher's job and DACUM chart with 5 duties, 28 tasks, and 107 task elements were derived by the DACUM method. The definition of a nutrition teacher was 'A teacher who is responsible for food service management and nutrition education and counseling for health promotion and disease prevention for students in primary and secondary schools'. The validation results of the tree structure were the priorities of the 28 tasks with ranks 1 and 2. Because there was no third priority, it was considered to be a good representation of the tasks of nutrition teachers. The DACUM chart was found to be evenly distributed with relative importances of more than 17 or less than 11 through the criticality analysis. Since the C5-4 (Conduct simulation exercise against food poisoning)'s content validity index was significantly less than the reference value of 0.78, it was not included in the final job description. 5 duties, 28 tasks, 102 task elements were included in the final job description of a nutrition teacher.

The work performance and the factor contributing to the work performance of nutrition teacher & school dieticians / 한국영양학회지

PURPOSE: The objective of this study is to investigate the work performances and the factors contributing to the work performance of nutrition teachers and school dieticians according to employment status in Daejeon and Chungcheongnamdo. METHODS: A survey was conducted among 415 school dieticians from selected elementary, middle, and high schools in the area. This survey was used for analysis of the general characteristics and the status of working and foodservice environments. The frequency of occurrence was measured using the chi2-test while analysis of differences in work performance of 57 variables grouped according to 12 categories by mean +/- SD was performed using student t-test. In addition, a regression analysis was performed to assess the influence of occupational (working and foodservice) environment on work performances. RESULTS: All 14 environmental factors including general characteristics were different between nutrition teachers and school dieticians. In 12 of 57 variables there were significant differences in work performance between the two groups. When compared using average work performance, 5 domains showed significant difference in work performance between the two groups. These 5 domains were other works (T = 6.050), dietary habit guide (T = 4.789), menu (nutrition) management (T = 3.524), foodservice administration and evaluation (T = 2.757), and production and service management (T = 2.588). Overall, the work performances of nutrition teachers were comparably higher than those of school dietitians. A correlation analysis between occupational (working or foodservice) environments and work performances of the two groups showed that the work performances of nutrition teachers were influenced by the number of employees, number of students, meal frequency a day, annual salary, age, foodservice years of school, and school type. CONCLUSION: Meanwhile, the work performances of school dieticians were influenced by the number of students, number of employees, meal frequency a day, work hour, education level, age, school type, and service years as a dietitian.

Current Status and Strategic Plan of Nutrition Education Comparing Nutrition Teachers with Dietitians in Schools, Gyeonggi Area / 대한지역사회영양학회지

The aim of this study was to investigate how implementation of direct nutrition education differs between nutrition teachers and dietitians in Gyeonggi Area. In this study, we collected data from 107 nutrition teachers and 129 dietitians in 2012. Among those who have answered they implemented direct nutrition education for the last one year, 36% were nutrition teachers and 10% were dietitians (p < 0.05). Among subjects who implemented direct education, a significantly greater percentage of nutrition teachers used a class as an education time to conduct creative hands-on-activity compare to dietitians (p < 0.05). However, for most dietitians, school meal time was more commonly used for direct nutrition education. When asked to make a suggestion regarding improvement for school nutrition education, the highest rate of people chose simplification of school administrative work (4.68 points) was needed. Developing nutrition education (4.55 points) showed the next highest rate. The rest of the answers were the following order; regular training of teaching methods (4.50 points), increasing awareness of school teachers (4.50 points), improving school facilities and financial support (4.47 points), preparing teaching plan (4.46 points), providing incentive for direct education (4.26 points), organizing regular class for nutrition education (4.17 points), and placing nutrition teachers (4.16 points). This study provides useful information including manageable workload of nutrition teachers and dietitians, capacity building and supportive school environment to be delivered with respect to nutrition education system in South Korea.

Job analysis and satisfaction of dietitians, nutrition teacher in school foodservice by school type in Gwangju and Jeonnam area

The objective of this study was to examine job performance and importance, and job satisfaction of school foodservice dietitians, nutrition teacher in Jeonnam and Gwangju area according to the school types (elementary school, middle school, high school). A total of 646 questionnaires were distributed, 244 questionnaires were analyzed using SPSS 12.0 for a descriptive analysis, t-test and ANOVA. There were significant differences between the school dietitians', nutrition teachers' job performance and importance in all areas of the job analysis for all school types. In the foodservice management/evaluation and nutrition education area, elementary and middle school foodservice dietitians, nutrition teacher showed a significantly higher performance, compared to that of high school dietitians, nutrition teacher. Nutrition education was recognized by elementary and middle school dietitians, nutrition teacher to be more significantly important than that of high school dietitian, nutrition teacher. Elementary school foodservice dietitians, nutrition teacher was most satisfied with their job condition. Dietitian working in middle school was least satisfied with the salary and compensation. These results suggest that appropriate curriculum should be structured according to foodservice dietitians, nutrition teacher of the school type for improving the work efficiency. In order to increase the job satisfaction, the employment status of school dietitian should be guaranteed by the government and school officials, especially in the middle and high schools.

Perception and action plans for school breakfast program by school nutrition teachers and dietitians in Gyeongbuk province

This study aimed at investigating the perception and action plans of the school breakfast program (SBP) proposed by nutrition teachers and dietitians at elementary, middle, and high schools in Gyeongbuk province. The survey was carried via questionnaires throughout April to May 2010. Two hundred ten questionnaires were returned (52.5%) and out of the total, 194 were used for analysis. Of the respondents, 73% disagreed and 27% agreed to the implementation of SBP, although most respondents agreed to the importance of eating breakfast in children. The percentage of disagreement was higher among subjects with working experience of 15 years and more, age of 40 years and more, and those who were employed at elementary schools. The primary reasons of disagreement were 'eating breakfast with family is better' and 'it increases the cost of school foodservice'. The respondents preferred students' optional participation (62.9%) over universal participation (37.1%) of SBP. Action plans of SBP, which were proposed by nutrition teachers and dietitians, included direct operating system by the school, food delivery schedule prior to the day of serving, 2-3 hours of preparation time, serving food 50 minutes before the start of classes, and convenient style menu served at the school cafeteria. Efforts to lessen foodservice employees' workload as well as support from school principals and the Office of Education were suggested as prerequisites for a successful SBP implementation.

Comparison of Role Conflict, Self-Efficacy, Job Satisfaction, and Job Involvement between Nutrition Teachers and Dietitians at School Food Service in Incheon Metropolitan City: Focusing on the Interactions between Nutrition Teachers and Dietitians

The purpose of this study was to compare differences in role conflict, self efficacy, job satisfaction, and job involvement perceived by school nutrition teachers and dietitians. A total of 335 female school nutrition teachers and dietitians from Incheon area were surveyed by a self-report questionnaire in November 2010. Collected data were processed using SPSS 15.0. The reliability of the questionnaire was tested and differences between the two groups were analyzed using the Student's t-test, the chi-square test, and a two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The job satisfaction level of nutrition teachers was higher than that of dietitians. The effect of role conflict and job satisfaction for nutrition teachers and dietitians was different according to age. In addition, self-efficacy, job satisfaction, and job involvement of nutrition teachers and dietitians were influenced by their annual salaries. The frequency of meals served also affected role conflict, job satisfaction, and job involvement of the nutrition teachers and dietitians, and the effect of job involvement by the nutrition teachers and dietitians was different according to meal service type. Therefore, it is necessary to establish strategies for resolving role conflicts among school foodservice specialists and improve their self-efficacy for enhancing consumer's satisfaction with the general quality of school food service. These efforts may contribute to job satisfaction and job involvement of food service specialists and ultimately to the productivity of food service and the establishment of food service specialist roles.

Study on Job Training for Specialty Enhancement of School Nutrition Teachers: In Gyeongbuk Area

The present study was performed to evaluate the job training needs of school nutrition teachers in order to enhance their specialty. Three hundred and forty questionnaires were distributed to school nutrition teachers working at primary and high schools in the Gyeongbuk area while 45 were distributed to professors during 2010~2011. Three hundred and two questionnaires from school nutrition teachers and 33 from professors were returned and analyzed. The rate of teachers practicing nutrition education was 54%, and the educational content was obtained mainly from the internet. The top three problems the teachers encountered were 'lack of standardized educational materials', 'inexperience of teaching', and 'insufficiency of expert knowledge'. The teachers recognized 'training program' as the best solution. However, the job training program operated immediately after teachers were appointed scored only 3.03 out of 5.00. Important contents of the training program ranked highly by the teachers were 'development of education materials', 'nutrition counseling', and 'teaching method'. The professors included 'expert knowledge' in their top three contents. Both the teachers and professors agreed to increase the frequency of 'practice' in training methods. Other factors the teachers considered to be important were high quality, diversity, ability of the instructor, training cycle, and the institution in charge. From these results, it can be concluded that efficient job training programs are needed for school nutrition teachers according to the importance of the education contents and training methods. It is therefore suggested that a cooperation committee be composed of an educator, educatee, and related personal in a local education office in order to operate the program.

Study on Job Satisfaction and Foodservice Management of Dieticians and Nutrition Teachers in Special Schools for the Disabled: Focused on Gyeonggi Area

This study examined students' menu preferences as well as the job satisfaction and specific considerations concerning foodservice operation of dieticians and nutrition teachers at special schools for the disabled. Semi-structured interview questionnaires were sent to all of the 21 special schools with direct school food service in Gyeonggi-do, and 16 dieticians and nutrition teachers agreed to participate in this study. Among the various menu groups, the subjects perceived the meat group as the most preferred and the vegetable group the least preferred. They were generally satisfactory with their job and duty, and had a strong sense of belonging to the school. However, most of them answered that they needed more time for nutritional education and counseling. While most had pride and pleasure in their job, they expressed a desire to change the system to better fit with their roles as professional nutritionists. The content analysis revealed that the subjects mainly focused on safety issues in planning the food menu and were thus limited in selecting menu items. They also felt difficulty in menu planning due to various tastes and preferences, since special schools tend to consist of a wider grade range. However, most subjects reported little trouble in food distribution and food leftovers owing to practical support from teachers and parents. The necessity for education concerning table manners and obesity prevention was generally a shared opinion, and education programs for parents were also perceived as necessary to better understand the special considerations for developing proper eating habits in their child. The study findings provide useful basic data to improve the foodservice system at special schools.

The Perception of Nutrition Teacher's Competency and Duty / 대한지역사회영양학회지

The purposes of this study were to identify the significance of a nutrition teacher, to analyze the importance of competence as a nutrition teacher and to evaluate the importance and difficulty for duties of nutrition teachers. The questionnaire was distributed to 554 preliminary teachers and a total of 468 usable data were collected with 84.5% of response rate from August to October 2006. The statistical data analysis was completed by using SPSS Win (ver. 10.0) for descriptive analysis, t-test, ANOVA and chi-sqare-test. The results were as follows: Preliminary nutrition teachers expected that conversion of a school dietitian into a nutrition teacher could lead to systematic and constant nutrition education and come into synergic effect by doing meal service with nutrition education. For a teacher's competence, all three paradigms were perceived as important. It was evaluated to be high for a knowledge factor in the empirical. analytic paradigm, a personality factor in the practical.interpretive paradigm and an attitude factor in the critical.emancipatory paradigm. And 'a knowledge for nutrition and sanitation (4.59)'and 'an ability to raise a selfmanagement capacity for right food habit and dietary life (4.59)'were showed as most important in a nutrition teacher. It appeared that both important and difficult duties of nutrition teachers were nutrition education, nutrition counseling and sanitation quality of nutrition education; the most necessary solution was to develop a reference and program for nutrition education (37.4%). In conclusion, the systematic supports of district offices of education and associated institutions as well as sustained efforts of preliminary nutrition teachers for themselves should lead to establish a successful system of nutrition teachers.

Requirements and Self-evaluation of Knowledge and Skills Necessary for Effective Nutrition Teachers Perceived by School Foodservice Deititians / 대한지역사회영양학회지

The purposes of the study were to identify knowledge and skill levels required for effective nutrition teachers and to compare perceived need and dietitians' self-evaluation of the knowledge and skills. A total of 60 knowledge statements and 70 skill statements associated with 11 job functional areas were specified through a literature review and expert panel reviews. A total of 457 dietitians working at school foodservices in Seoul and Gyeonggi province were surveyed using a self-administrated questionnaire and 148 responses were returned. Excluding responses with significant missing data, 142 responses were used for data analysis. In terms of knowledge, 'sanitation, food safety and employee safety (4.60)' category received the highest perceived need score, followed by 'nutrition education (4.56)' and 'nutrition counseling (4.45).' The knowledge category that received the highest self-evaluation was 'nutrition and menu management (3.66)' while the category that received the lowest self-evaluation was 'teaching practices (2.83).' In terms of skills, the highest perceived need was associated with 'nutrition education (4.49)', followed by 'sanitation, food safety and employee safety (4.46)' and 'nutrition counseling (4.39).' The dietitians rated their skills related to 'sanitation, food safety and employee safety (3.67)' the highest but their skills related to 'teaching practices (2.84)' the lowest. The dietitians' self-evaluated knowledge and skill scores were significantly lower than their perceived need of the knowledge and skills in all job functional areas (P < 0.001). A quadratic analysis based on the requirement and self-evaluation of the knowledge and skills revealed that priorities of the education programs targeting school nutrition teachers or students preparing to be a nutrition teacher should be placed on improving knowledge and skills related to nutrition education, nutrition counseling, teaching practices, sanitation and employee safety, and nutrition and menu management. Educational programs for nutrition teachers should be designed to decrease the gaps between the need and self-evaluation of the knowledge and skills for effective nutrition teachers. The findings of the study can be used to develop education materials for nutrition teachers. The knowledge and skills identified in the study should be updated and revised regularly to reflect changes in regulations and current practices in school foodservice programs.

Analysis of Recognized Changes in Performance and Organizational Environment by Dietitians Transposed to Nutrition Teachers in Gyeonggi Province

This study was conducted to gather basic data on the tasks and roles of nutrition teachers by analyzing the changes inwork importance, performance frequency, and organizational environment after dietitians were transposed to nutrition teachers. E-mail surveys were sent to 100 newly assigned nutrition teachers who previously served as dietitians in Gyeonggi province. A total of 72 teachers responded to the survey. The respondents were asked the importance and frequency of 9 work-related duties performed as a dietitian and nutrition teacher, respectively. They were also surveyed regarding their satisfaction perceptions for 5 organizational changes. The majority of respondents were 36 to 40 years old (48.6%) and had 10~20 years of work experience (58.3%). Significant differences were found for work importance after changing to the role of nutrition teacher (p<0.001). In addition, work performance frequency differences were found for the categories of nutrition education, nutrition counseling, and dietary guidance. These results were attributable to the differences in work importance and performance frequency by now being a nutrition teacher rather than a dietitian. The respondents had increased satisfaction levels after changing from dietitian to nutrition teacher (p<0.001) in terms of 'pride for change in work', 'satisfaction level for pay', and 'satisfaction level for change in the organizational environment'. In order for nutrition teachers to have effective work performance, 'personal capabilities' and 'school manager support' should be coordinated. Overall, the results of this study suggest that effective training programs should be developed for nutrition teachers they can effectively complete newly assigned work tasks.

A Survey on Practice of Nutrition Education and Perception for Implementing Nutrition Education by Nutrition Teacher in Elementary Schools

The purpose of this study was to investigate the practice of nutrition education and perceptions for implementing nutrition education in elementary schools. In this survey, 833 dietitians, 808 principals and 3,141 teachers across the country were asked about the present status and problems as well as necessity, methods, education time, education subjects and the proper nutrition educator ratio. The results of the survey showed that only 4.2% of dietitians implemented nutrition education during regular school hours or through special activities. Many subjects responded that the reasons for not practicing nutrition education were systematic problems of lack of time due to too much food service work. Especially, many rural area dietitians responded that the reason was lack of time due to joint management and cooking. Many dietitians, principals and teachers responded that the placement of one nutrition teacher in every school is needed to resolve these problems. Other solutions suggested were the introduction of a dietitian internship, and the modernization of foodservice facilities for principals and teachers. Of those surveyed 98.4 percent of principals and 95.5 percent of teachers responded that nutrition education is urgently needed. Many subjects also responded that the first three years of elementary school are the most proper time for nutrition education and it is best that these lessons are reinforced at least once a month through discretional or special activities. Survey participants responded that the proper ratio for nutrition educators is 400-800 persons for dietitians compared to less than 400 persons for principals. In conclusion, it is hoped that this study will be able to provide a foundation of data for implementing a systematic nutrition education program by nutrition teachers in elementary school.