Integrating disordered eating, eating disorder and body image content within dietetics’ curricula in Australia: A qualitative exploration of student perceptions

Background
Dietetic programs in Australia provide limited disordered eating and eating disorders content, contributing to dietitians lacking confidence to provide care to this population. Targeted learning opportunities within university programs can support the future workforce to feel competent to provide eating disorder care.

Objective
To examine how exploring their own relationship with food and body influences students’ professional identity and preparedness to provide care to people with eating disorders, and to understand students’ perceptions of including this content within their dietetics program.

Design
A pragmatic, qualitative multimethod approach was used to explore dietetics students’ perspectives of a 2-week collaborative education initiative to include disordered eating, eating disorders, and body image content within curricula. Data were collected via an online survey and focus groups/individual interviews.

Participants
All 2023 Griffith University Bachelor of Nutrition and Dietetics students (N = 230) were invited to participate in an online seminar. All students enrolled in the Food and Society course during September 2023 (n = 54) completed the new course content. Following the online seminar, 48 students (years 1 through 4) completed the online survey, and 25 students participated in focus groups (n = 15) and individual interviews (n = 10).

Data Analysis
Survey data were analyzed using content analysis, and focus group and interview data were analyzed using the Framework Method.

Results
Four themes and 12 subthemes were inductively identified from the data. Themes included awareness of the intertwined nature of personal and professional identities, valuing the complexity and the need to have a healthy relationship with food and self, the influence of studying nutrition so deeply, and pedagogical implications for new content and future curricula approaches.

Conclusions
This qualitative study highlights the value of including disordered eating and eating disorder content in dietetics programs. Students shared challenges with current content and offered practical considerations for enhancing future eating disorder curricula.