Research Involvement Among Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Graduates of Three Clinical Nutrition Graduate Programs

BACKGROUND: Rutgers University, in the northeast region of the US, offers three levels of clinical nutrition graduate programs with a strong focus on practice-based research competencies. However, the level of research involvement (RI) among alumni had not been assessed. METHODS: This study assessed RI among registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) graduates of three clinical nutrition graduate programs (entry-level Master’s of Science in Clinical Nutrition, post-professional Master’s of Science in Clinical Nutrition, and Doctor of Clinical Nutrition) and evaluated if there was a relationship between RI scores and years of employment as an RDN. This was a cross-sectional study using the validated Practice-Based Dietitian Research Involvement Survey (PBDRIS) tool and included questions about sociodemographic and professional characteristics. Data were collected via an online survey, and the sample included 94 alumni from the past 25 years (usable response rate of 32.5%). Descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney U and Spearman correlation tests were conducted. RESULTS: The median PBDRIS total score was 54.0 (out of 80.0). Level 1, consisting of applying evidence-based practice (EBP), was the highest median subscore (19.0 out of 20.0). The lowest median subscore was level 4 (11.0 out of 20.0), involving activities about leadership in research. The most and least frequently reported activities were “applying EBP” (83.0%) and “applying for grant funding” (62.8%), respectively. There was a statistically significant medium, positive correlation between years of employment as an RDN and PBDRIS total scores (r = 0.396, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: RDN alumni from three clinical nutrition graduate programs had RI which likely reflects the unique research-based focus of the program curricula. With more years of experience as an RDN, RI scores increased.