PRACTICE APPLICATIONS Introduction
Think Globally, Practice Locally: Culturally Competent Dietetics
W
HEN THE AMERICAN DIetetic Association became the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics in 2012, the name change reflected, among other things, the fact that the Academy and its members have embraced a global perspective on nutrition, with a mission and vision that make an impact around the world. Although the vast majority of Academy members practice in the United States, their research and practice breakthroughs benefit billions worldwide, and their increasing understanding of the myriad food cultures represented in America by immigrants from nearly every country on Earth allows for culturally competent practice that produces better results. In an increasingly connected world, globalization will only continue to impact every aspect of life, including nutrition, so the Academy is committed to ensuring that our members are prepared for the challenges of a multicultural marketplace. This reprint supplement to the Journal collects recent articles that explore culturally competent dietetics practice both at home and abroad, and provide insight into global food customs, the way cultural food beliefs shape the health of a population, and how cultural competency can enhance the impact of nutrition and dietetics practitioners. Lauri Wright, PhD, RDN, and Mary Lundy, DPT, begin the Practice section of this supplement with a report on a short international service learning program aiming to increase the cultural competency of dietetic interns (p S6). Similar programs have helped medical students feel both more culturally competent and clinically confident in working with cultures different than their own, so this program applied the concept to dietetics students and recorded participants’ personal reflections on the experience while also taking objective measures of their cultural awareness. Statement of Potential Conflict of Interest: The author has no potential conflict of interest to disclose.
ª 2015 by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Dietetics students who belong to the many different cultural groups in the United States are typically more aware of the challenges facing their own communities. Hispanics are one of the largest cultural groups in the United States, but as the Hispanic community has continued to grow, the number of Hispanic nutrition and dietetics practitioners has not followed suit. Lizett Olivares, MS, RD, and colleagues address the need to increase the number of culturally competent nutrition and dietetics practitioners not only by training all dietetics students in cultural competency, but also by recruiting and retaining culturally diverse students in undergraduate dietetics programs (p S10). They describe a mentoring program for Hispanic undergraduate dietetics students and outline the ways in which such a program can prepare minority students for successful entry into the dietetics profession. Of course, no individual can visit every country or be a member of every culture, so a large part of becoming culturally competent comes down to reading about cultural food practices and beliefs around the world. Matthew Fox’s three-part series, “Global Food Practices, Cultural Competency, and Dietetics” (pp S16, S21, and S26), covers 24 different countries and their food cultures, from traditional beliefs to contemporary meal patterns, highlighting the differences that make each country unique, while also revealing similarities that will help nutrition and dietetics practitioners understand the impact globalization has had on the health of people from every corner of the globe. In this supplement’s Research section, Hope T. Bilyk, MS, RDN, LDN, continues the discussion of globalization and its effects on nutrition in an article about native and cultural foods (p S31). Using the Mexican cactus plant, nopal, as an example, she examines the central role native foods play in the diets of immigrants, the decreases in intake brought about by globalization and acculturation, the value of identifying traditional cultural foods that my contribute to a healthy lifestyle,
and the need for more evidence-based research into native foods. Suzanna M. Martinez, PhD, MS, and colleagues sought to understand the high prevalence of obesity among Latino children by examining the cultural beliefs of Latino mothers regarding feeding and cooking for their children (p S34). By using a culturally sensitive approach to the issue, the authors were able to identify several attitudes and behaviors of Latino mothers that contributed to overweight and obesity among their children. Findings like these reinforce the importance of culturally appropriate research in understanding and addressing nutritional issues in minority populations. The final article in this supplement provides an excellent example of a culturally competent dietary intervention. Heather Greenlee, ND, PhD, and colleagues sought to increase fruit and vegetable intake and decrease fat intake among Hispanic breast cancer survivors; so, noting the need for culturally relevant nutrition programs targeted to this underserved population, they partnered with a non-profit organization to develop ¡Cocinar Para Su Salud! (Cook For Your Health!) (p S42). This intervention provided Spanish translations of all class materials and assessments, included recipes based on traditional Latin-American cuisine, and addressed cultural values that may function as barriers and facilitators to dietary change. Taken together, the articles in this supplement to the Journal reflect the effects on nutrition of both increasing globalization around the world and increasing diversity here in the United States. In both cases, culturally competent nutrition and dietetics practitioners will be required to address the challenges these trends will present. We present these articles to help inform and inspire you as you continue your journey toward cultural competence. Sonja L. Connor, MS, RDN, LD, FAND Academy President, 2014-2015 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2015.03.015
JOURNAL OF THE ACADEMY OF NUTRITION AND DIETETICS
S5
Think Globally, Practice Locally: Culturally Competent Dietetics
W
HEN THE AMERICAN DIetetic Association became the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics in 2012, the name change reflected, among other things, the fact that the Academy and its members have embraced a global perspective on nutrition, with a mission and vision that make an impact around the world. Although the vast majority of Academy members practice in the United States, their research and practice breakthroughs benefit billions worldwide, and their increasing understanding of the myriad food cultures represented in America by immigrants from nearly every country on Earth allows for culturally competent practice that produces better results. In an increasingly connected world, globalization will only continue to impact every aspect of life, including nutrition, so the Academy is committed to ensuring that our members are prepared for the challenges of a multicultural marketplace. This reprint supplement to the Journal collects recent articles that explore culturally competent dietetics practice both at home and abroad, and provide insight into global food customs, the way cultural food beliefs shape the health of a population, and how cultural competency can enhance the impact of nutrition and dietetics practitioners. Lauri Wright, PhD, RDN, and Mary Lundy, DPT, begin the Practice section of this supplement with a report on a short international service learning program aiming to increase the cultural competency of dietetic interns (p S6). Similar programs have helped medical students feel both more culturally competent and clinically confident in working with cultures different than their own, so this program applied the concept to dietetics students and recorded participants’ personal reflections on the experience while also taking objective measures of their cultural awareness. Statement of Potential Conflict of Interest: The author has no potential conflict of interest to disclose.
ª 2015 by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Dietetics students who belong to the many different cultural groups in the United States are typically more aware of the challenges facing their own communities. Hispanics are one of the largest cultural groups in the United States, but as the Hispanic community has continued to grow, the number of Hispanic nutrition and dietetics practitioners has not followed suit. Lizett Olivares, MS, RD, and colleagues address the need to increase the number of culturally competent nutrition and dietetics practitioners not only by training all dietetics students in cultural competency, but also by recruiting and retaining culturally diverse students in undergraduate dietetics programs (p S10). They describe a mentoring program for Hispanic undergraduate dietetics students and outline the ways in which such a program can prepare minority students for successful entry into the dietetics profession. Of course, no individual can visit every country or be a member of every culture, so a large part of becoming culturally competent comes down to reading about cultural food practices and beliefs around the world. Matthew Fox’s three-part series, “Global Food Practices, Cultural Competency, and Dietetics” (pp S16, S21, and S26), covers 24 different countries and their food cultures, from traditional beliefs to contemporary meal patterns, highlighting the differences that make each country unique, while also revealing similarities that will help nutrition and dietetics practitioners understand the impact globalization has had on the health of people from every corner of the globe. In this supplement’s Research section, Hope T. Bilyk, MS, RDN, LDN, continues the discussion of globalization and its effects on nutrition in an article about native and cultural foods (p S31). Using the Mexican cactus plant, nopal, as an example, she examines the central role native foods play in the diets of immigrants, the decreases in intake brought about by globalization and acculturation, the value of identifying traditional cultural foods that my contribute to a healthy lifestyle,
and the need for more evidence-based research into native foods. Suzanna M. Martinez, PhD, MS, and colleagues sought to understand the high prevalence of obesity among Latino children by examining the cultural beliefs of Latino mothers regarding feeding and cooking for their children (p S34). By using a culturally sensitive approach to the issue, the authors were able to identify several attitudes and behaviors of Latino mothers that contributed to overweight and obesity among their children. Findings like these reinforce the importance of culturally appropriate research in understanding and addressing nutritional issues in minority populations. The final article in this supplement provides an excellent example of a culturally competent dietary intervention. Heather Greenlee, ND, PhD, and colleagues sought to increase fruit and vegetable intake and decrease fat intake among Hispanic breast cancer survivors; so, noting the need for culturally relevant nutrition programs targeted to this underserved population, they partnered with a non-profit organization to develop ¡Cocinar Para Su Salud! (Cook For Your Health!) (p S42). This intervention provided Spanish translations of all class materials and assessments, included recipes based on traditional Latin-American cuisine, and addressed cultural values that may function as barriers and facilitators to dietary change. Taken together, the articles in this supplement to the Journal reflect the effects on nutrition of both increasing globalization around the world and increasing diversity here in the United States. In both cases, culturally competent nutrition and dietetics practitioners will be required to address the challenges these trends will present. We present these articles to help inform and inspire you as you continue your journey toward cultural competence. Sonja L. Connor, MS, RDN, LD, FAND Academy President, 2014-2015 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2015.03.015
JOURNAL OF THE ACADEMY OF NUTRITION AND DIETETICS
S5
