Abstract
Background
Sustainable agriculture encompasses economic, environmental, and social aspects of
the food system. Members of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (Academy) play
an important role in promoting sustainable agriculture because they work in areas
where they can influence the food purchasing decisions of foodservice operations and
the public.
Objective
To investigate behavior of registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs) toward incorporating
sustainable agriculture principles into professional practice using the Theory of
Planned Behavior.
Design
This cross-sectional study surveyed RDNs nationwide about their perspectives on incorporating
sustainable agriculture issues into practice. The survey questions were based on a
survey originally administered to Minnesota RDNs during 2002.
Participants and setting
The sample (N=626) was drawn from a randomly selected, national sample of Academy
members.
Statistical analyses performed
Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent t tests, Pearson correlations, and stepwise regression.
Results
The sample was mostly white, female, and the average age was 45.4±12.2 years. Almost
half of Academy RDNs (47%) reported incorporating environmental issues into their
practice. All four Theory of Planned Behavior variables (intention, attitude, perceived
behavior control, and subjective norm) were predictive of behavior to include sustainable
agriculture issues into practice. Barriers to incorporating this topic into practice
included lack of knowledge, ability, time, and employer support.
Conclusions
This study found that most of the RDN respondents had heard of sustainable agriculture
and nearly half reported including this topic in their professional practice. To integrate
this topic into practice more consistently, RDNs need more knowledge, time, and employer
support.
Keywords
To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
Purchase one-time access:
Academic & Personal: 24 hour online accessCorporate R&D Professionals: 24 hour online accessOne-time access price info
- For academic or personal research use, select 'Academic and Personal'
- For corporate R&D use, select 'Corporate R&D Professionals'
Subscribe:
Subscribe to Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and DieteticsAlready a print subscriber? Claim online access
Already an online subscriber? Sign in
Register: Create an account
Institutional Access: Sign in to ScienceDirect
References
- Position of the American Dietetic Association. Food and nutrition professionals can implement practices to conserve natural resources and support ecological sustainability.J Am Diet Assoc. 2007; 107: 1033-1043
Tagtow A, Harmon AH. Healthy land, healthy food & healthy eaters: Dietitians cultivating sustainable food systems. http://scholarworks.montana.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/1/3029/HillerHarmon_HLHFHE_2009.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y. Accessed January 25, 2016.
- Civic dietetics: Opportunities for integrating civic agriculture concepts into dietetic practice.Agric Human Values. 2009; 26: 57-66
- Beyond eating right: The emergence of civic dietetics to foster health and sustainability through food system change.J Hunger Environ Nutr. 2010; 5: 2-12
Hunger and Environmental Nutrition: A dietetic practice group of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Who we are. http://www.hendpg.org/. Accessed January 25, 2016.
Journal of Hunger & Environmental Nutrition list of issues. http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/when20#.VqZgzoUrKxo. Accessed January 25, 2016.
US Code, Title 7, Chapter 64—Agricultural research, extension and teaching, subchapter I: Findings, purposes, and definitions. https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/USCODE-2011-title7/html/USCODE-2011-title7-chap64-subchapI-sec3103.htm. Published August 23, 2007. Accessed January 5, 2016.
- Position of The American Dietetic Association: Food insecurity in the United States.J Am Diet Assoc. 2010; 110: 1368-1377
- Psychosocial and demographic variables associated with consumer intention to purchase sustainably produced foods as defined by the Midwest Food Alliance.J Nutr Educ Behav. 2002; 34: 316-325
- Promotion of sustainably produced foods: Customer response in Minnesota grocery stores.Am J Alternative Agric. 2002; 17: 96-104
- Associations between self-reported health conscious consumerism, body-mass index, and attitudes about sustainably produced foods.Agric Human Values. 2003; 20: 177-187
- Integrating issues of sustainably produced foods into nutrition practice: A survey of Minnesota Dietetic Association members.J Am Diet Assoc. 2003; 103: 608-611
- A survey of registered dietitians’ concern and actions regarding climate change in the United States.Front Nutr. 2015; 2: 1-8
- A qualitative study of how registered dietitians made the connection between diet, climate change, and environmental degradation.J Hunger Environ Nutr. 2015; 10: 47-59
- The Theory of Planned Behavior.Organ Behav Human Decis Process. 1991; 50: 179-211
REDCap Research Electronic Data 82 Capture version 5.6.1. Nashville, TN: Vanderbilt University; 2009.
- Research electronic data capture (REDCap)—A metadata-driven methodology and workflow process for providing translational research informatics support.J Biomed Inform. 2009; 42: 377-381
- Adolescents' perspectives and food choice behaviors in terms of the environmental impacts of food production practices: Application of a psychosocial model.J Nutr Educ. 2001; 33: 72-82
- Registered dietitian's personal beliefs and characteristics predict their teaching or intention to teach fresh vegetable food safety.Appetite. 2011; 56: 469-475
- Applying the theory of planned behavior to healthy eating behaviors in urban Native American youth.Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2006; 3: 11-20
- Understanding gardening and dietary habits among youth garden program participants using the Theory of Planned Behavior.Appetite. 2007; 49: 122-130
- Coefficient alpha and the internal structure of tests.Psychometrika. 1951; 16: 297-334
Statistical Package for the Social for Windows version 21.0. Armonk, NY: IBM-SPSS Inc; 2012.
Commission on Dietetic Registration. Registered dietitian demographics. https://www.cdrnet.org/certifications/registered-dietitians-demographics. Updated December 1, 2013. Accessed December 28, 2015.
- An investigation of the ways in which public health nutrition policy and practices can address climate change.Public Health Nutr. 2010; 13: 304-313
- Sustainable diets for the future: Can we contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by eating a healthy diet?.Am J Clin Nutr. 2012; 96: 632-639
- The relative greenhouse gas impacts of realistic dietary choices.Energy Policy. 2012; 43: 184-190
- 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.J Acad Nutr Diet. 2014; 114: 475-588
Biography
L. Heidelberger was a student at the time of the study, Department of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Minnesota, St Paul.
Biography
C. Smith is a professor, Department of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Minnesota, St Paul.
Biography
C. Earthman is a professor, Department of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Minnesota, St Paul.
Biography
R. Robinson-O’Brien is a project manager, Berman Center for Outcomes & Clinical Research, Minneapolis Medical Research Foundation, Minneapolis, MN.
Biography
K. Robien is an associate professor, Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, DC.
Article info
Publication history
Published online: August 18, 2016
Accepted:
June 27,
2016
Received:
March 9,
2016
Footnotes
STATEMENT OF POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
FUNDING/SUPPORT Funding for this project was received from the Minnesota Institute of Sustainable Agriculture and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Identification
Copyright
© 2017 by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
ScienceDirect
Access this article on ScienceDirectLinked Article
- Questioning the Definition of Sustainable AgricultureJournal of the Academy of Nutrition and DieteticsVol. 117Issue 11
- PreviewI wanted to respond, on behalf of the National Pork Board, to the Original Research: Brief published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ February 2017 issue titled, “Registered Dietitian Nutritionists’ Perspectives on Integrating Food and Water System Issues into Professional Practice,” by Heidelberger and colleagues.1 As a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) who supports America’s livestock farmers, I was concerned about some of the assertions about meat and agriculture throughout the research brief and discussion.
- Full-Text
- Preview
