Educational training of nutritionists in Public Health Nutrition: A systematic review

ABSTRACT The present systematic review aimed to synthesize the findings of studies in the literature on the educational training of nutritionists in Public Health. The study was conducted by searching international databases (PubMed, Science Direct, Lilacs, PsycINFO, Scopus, and Web of Science), as well as in the gray literature. The steps of systematic search followed the recommendations of the Preferred Reporing Itens for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis. Eligibility criteria included studies on the Public Health training in Nutrition Undergraduate courses, whose subjects were students, educators, and professionals who practice in the field of Nutrition. A total of 633 articles were identified, of which, 66 were eligible for reading and analysis of the full text and 12 were included in the systematic review. Of these, five of these 12 articles used quantitative methods, 3 used mixed methods, and 4 used exclusively qualitative methods. There was high heterogeneity among the studies, such as different samples, subjects, and evaluation methods. The studies included were carried out from 2008 to 2017 in 28 different countries, including Brazil, Canada, Vietnam, and some European countries. In most of these articles, Public Health was one of the main areas in the formal education of nutritionists, with predominant traditional teaching approach, with a biological focus and a fragmented curricular structure. The included studies were evaluated with low risk of bias. In spite of the limitations identified in the professional training of nutritionists, there was a clear emphasis on the importance of the relationship between theory and practice, teaching-research-extension approaches, and practical activities or internships in Public Health, which can promote the development of skills and competencies that can exert an impact on their professional performance.

摘要 本系统综述旨在系统梳理现有文献中有关公共卫生（Public Health）领域营养师教育培训的相关研究成果。本研究通过检索PubMed、Science Direct、Lilacs、PsycINFO、Scopus、Web of Science等国际数据库及灰色文献完成。系统检索流程严格遵循《系统综述与元分析首选报告规范》（PRISMA）的相关要求。纳入标准为针对营养学本科阶段公共卫生相关教育培训的研究，研究对象涵盖营养学专业学生、教育工作者及在职营养从业人员。最终共检索到633篇文献，其中66篇满足全文阅读与分析要求，最终12篇被纳入本系统综述。纳入的12篇文献中，5篇采用定量研究方法，3篇采用混合研究方法，4篇仅采用定性研究方法。纳入研究间存在较高异质性，体现在样本来源、研究对象及评价方法均存在差异。纳入研究的发表时间跨度为2008年至2017年，覆盖巴西、加拿大、越南及部分欧洲国家等28个国家/地区。多数研究结果显示，公共卫生是营养师正规教育的核心领域之一，当前教育培训多以传统教学模式为主，侧重生物学视角且课程结构较为零散。纳入研究的偏倚风险均处于较低水平。尽管当前营养师职业培训仍存在诸多不足，但现有研究均明确强调了理论与实践结合、教学-科研-拓展一体化模式以及公共卫生领域实践活动或实习的重要性，上述要素有助于培养可对其职业表现产生积极影响的专业技能与核心胜任力。