Resources Needed for Education and Meal Programs by Urban Schoolteachers and Staff During the 2019 Coronavirus Pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Adjustments in teaching resources and school meal programs are urgently needed during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study examined teaching resources that would have been helpful when schools closed, and how school meal programs should be changed in the 2020-2021 school year. METHODS: In October 2020, a 27-item, cross-sectional, online survey was administered to 99 teachers and staff members in an urban, Midwestern school district. Data were analyzed using frequencies and proportions, and open-ended responses were analyzed using content analysis. RESULTS: Online teaching was difficult for teachers and students, and training for online teaching, improved Internet access, and more time for grading or office hours would have been helpful when schools closed. Meal programs were offered by 86% of schools after closing, and many participants supported continuing meal programs for 2020-2021. Resources needed to continue meal programs included funding for meal reimbursement, transportation to the meal sites, and more staff. Suggested changes to meal programs included offering more variety or more food, and solving transportation issues. CONCLUSION: Addressing these concerns can improve school and community health. Findings will inform efforts to enhance online teaching and improve and continue school meal programs as the world continues to be affected by COVID-19.

Simulations for Teaching and Evaluating Nutrition-Focused Physical Exam Skills.

OBJECTIVE: To develop, implement, and evaluate a patient simulation to assess Nutrition-Focused Physical Exam (NFPE) skills among dietetics students. METHODS: Three student cohorts (n = 47) in a combined internship and master's program participated. Curricula included: (1) formal instruction with practice resources, (2) baseline NFPE evaluation performed on a classmate, and (3) final NFPE evaluation performed on a standardized patient. Trained observers evaluated students using the NFPE Skills Assessment tool. Self-rated performance was assessed by the 8-item survey completed at baseline and after the final evaluation. Paired t tests analyzed differences in observed NFPE skill, and 1-tailed Wilcoxon signed-rank test analyzed differences in survey responses. RESULTS: Nutrition-Focused Physical Exam skill improvements were observed for each cohort (P < .05). Surveys demonstrated increased comfort touching patients (P < .001), and improved self-rated abilities to assess subcutaneous fat, muscle stores, fluid accumulation, and micronutrient deficiency (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Simulations were an effective method for increasing observed and perceived NFPE skills among dietetics students. These findings justify the investigation of these methods within a larger sample of students from multiple programs with rigorous study design.