Research interest and research involvement among US registered dietitian nutritionists

Research is important for advancing the profession of dietetics. This secondary analysis explored relationships between US registered dietitian nutritionists' professional characteristics and research interest and involvement. Respondents (n = 580) had mean scores on the Interest in Research Questionnaire (IRQ) and the Dietitian Research Involvement Survey (DRIS) of 55.0 and 23.5 out of 80.0 and 60.0 points, respectively. Frequency of reading research (r = 0.298, P < .0001) was positively correlated with IRQ scores. A moderate positive correlation was found between IRQ and DRIS scores (r = 0.435, P < .0001). Registered dietitian nutritionists in clinical practice in the United States are more likely to be involved with research if they express more interest in research.