Systems Thinking and Sustainable Food Systems in Dietetics Education: A Survey of Directors.

BACKGROUND: Systems thinking is recommended, but not required, for teaching food and water system sustainability in nutrition and dietetics education. OBJECTIVE: This study investigated systems thinking and sustainable, resilient, and healthy food and water systems (SRHFWS) in nutrition and dietetics programs. It examined program directors' practices, values, attitudes, confidence levels, and the relationships between systems thinking, teaching SRHFWS topics, confidence levels, and years of experience as a dietitian and program director. DESIGN: Conducted in September 2022, the study used a descriptive design with a validated 20-item Systems Thinking Scale (STS) and a researcher-designed survey with 1-5 Likert-type scales. PARTICIPANTS/SETTING: The online survey was distributed to 611 Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) program directors, with a 27% (n=163) response. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Descriptive statistics (frequency, mean, standard deviation) were calculated using Excel. Inferential statistics were examined using R. ANOVA was used to compare experience as RDN and experience as a program director to confidence levels in teaching each SRHFWS topic. Linear regression was used determine the relationship between total STS score and demographic and programmatic variables. RESULTS: Seventy-seven percent of program directors scored high on the STS (mean score 65.2, on a 0-80 scale, SD 8.4), and more than 85% of directors agreed including systems thinking in dietetics was important. However, only 32.1% reported teaching systems thinking. Less than half of program directors agreed systems thinking was adequately addressed in ACEND standards, and nearly 80% of program directors agreed there was room to strengthen systems thinking content. Directors neither agreed nor disagreed there are adequate ACEND standards addressing SRHFWS and reported SRHFWS topics were inconsistently taught. Confidence levels were lowest for teaching economic and environmental topics. Awareness and use of resources developed by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation was low. CONCLUSIONS: Integration of systems thinking in nutrition and dietetics education presents promising opportunities to address complexity in the field. Applying systems thinking to teach SRHFWS may narrow the disparity between educators' perceived importance and program coverage. Enhancing program directors' awareness and utilization of Foundation resources and improved alignment between practice standards and accreditation standards may empower program directors to use systems thinking to teach sustainability-related challenges in nutrition and dietetics.

Leveraging Online Learning to Promote Systems Thinking for Sustainable Food Systems Training in Dietetics Education.

Educating and training a multisectoral food systems workforce is a critical part of developing sustainable, resilient, and healthy food and water systems. This paper shares perspectives from a working group of educators, learners, and food systems subject matter experts that collaborated over the course of a year to develop, pilot test, and evaluate two interactive webinar series with a multi-site cohort of dietetics interns and graduate students. The three-part webinar series format included a training webinar, a practice activity, and a synthesis webinar. In reflecting on the effectiveness of this format, we provide direct assessments of student learning from subject matter experts alongside indirect assessments from pre- and post-surveys fielded with learners. Learners who participated in an interactive webinar series demonstrated skills in several dimensions of systems thinking and gained confidence in food systems learning outcomes. Learners also shared valuable feedback on the opportunities and challenges of using online platforms for this experience. As online learning opportunities become more common, it will become increasingly important for educators to prioritize strategies that effectively equip students with the higher-order thinking skills, such as systems thinking, needed to address the complexities of sustainable food systems. The interactive webinar series format described here provides an opportunity to leverage didactic webinars in combination with interactive experiences that enable learners to deepen their knowledge through practice with peers and subject matter experts. Though this format was piloted within dietetics education programs, many of the lessons learned are transferable to other food systems educational contexts.

Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Standards of professional performance for Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (Competent, Proficient, and Expert) in Sustainable, Resilient, and Healthy Food and Water Systems.

Sustainability is the ability of a system to be maintained over the long term. Resilience is the ability of a system to withstand disturbances and continue to function in a sustainable manner. Issues of sustainability and resilience apply to all aspects of nutrition and dietetics practice, can be practiced at both the program and systems level, and are broader than any one specific practice setting or individual intervention. Given an increasing need to apply principles of sustainability and resilience to nutrition and dietetics practice, as well as growing interest among the public and by Registered Dietitian Nutritionists of health issues related to food and water systems, the Hunger and Environmental Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group, with guidance from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Quality Management Committee, has developed the Standards of Professional Performance as a tool for Registered Dietitian Nutritionists working in sustainable, resilient, and healthy food and water systems to assess their current skill levels and to identify areas for further professional development in this emerging practice area. This Standards of Professional Performance document covers six standards of professional performance: quality in practice, competence and accountability, provision of services, application of research, communication and application of knowledge, and utilization and management of resources. Within each standard, specific indicators provide measurable action statements that illustrate how sustainable, resilient, and healthy food and water systems principles can be applied to practice. The indicators describe three skill levels (competent, proficient, and expert) for Registered Dietitian Nutritionists working in sustainable, resilient, and healthy food and water systems.