Model for Multicultural Nutrition Counseling Competencies

doi:10.1016/S0002-8223(00)00342-4

Journal of the American Dietetic Association

Volume 100, Issue 10, October 2000, Pages 1178-1185

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0002-8223(00)00342-4 Get rights and content

Abstract

A model for multicultural nutrition counseling competencies for registered dietetians was developed and tested. Six hundred four registered dietetians who were members of The American Dietetic Association Public Health Nutrition Practice Group or directors of dietetic internships and didactic programs in dietetics were selected by a stratified random sample method and were mailed a survey. Respondents rated each of 46 competencies using a Likert scale to delineate how essential each competency will be for entry-level dietetians in the next 10 years. Of the 60% who responded (n=363), 94.4% met the study selection criteria. Most were white (85.7%), spoke English as their primary language (96.8%), and had a master's degree (64.4%). Many (37.9%) worked in community/public health facilities or organizations, and 50.4% provided nutrition counseling or education to clients culturally different from themselves. Exploratory principal components analysis extracted 3 factors with 28 competencies loading on them: multicultural nutrition counseling skills, multicultural awareness, and multicultural food and nutrition knowledge. Subjects responded similarly whether or not they provided nutrition counseling to culturally different clients. Secondary analysis revealed no significant interaction or differences between how bilingual dietetians and those of color scored items in the 3 factors. The resulting model is a guideline that can be used by educators to enhance dietetics education and training and by public health nutritionists as a basis for self-evaluation and selection of continuing education opportunities to enhance their multicultural nutrition counseling competence. J Am Diet Assoc. 2000;100:1178-1185.

Section snippets

Models of Multicultural Competencies

Multicultural competence is a unique category of awareness, knowledge, and skills that enables a system, agency, or professional to work effectively in cross-cultural situations (2). Sue et al (3) pioneered efforts to identify cross-cultural counseling competencies. Originally their model separated competencies into 3 dimensions: beliefs and attitudes, knowledge, and skills. Subsequently Sue et al (4) defined their rationale, developed multicultural standards and competencies, and advocated

Proposed Model

After an extensive review of the literature (3), (4), (5), (10), (19), (20), (21), we developed a model to identify multicultural nutrition counseling competencies for entry-level registered dietetians (Figure, left). We based this model on the research of Sue et al (4), Sodowsky et al (10), and Pope and Reynolds (5), but we tailored it for nutritionists; thus, the model focuses specifically on multicultural nutrition counseling. The 3×3 matrix had 46 competencies grouped into 3 dimensions for

Demographic Characteristics

Of the 604 subjects surveyed, 40% and 20% responded to each of the 2 complete mailings, which yielded an overall response rate of 60% (n=363). Of respondents, 94.4% (n=343) met the study selection criteria. Response rates were 56.9% (n=230), 73.2% (n=71), and 53.4% (n=55), respectively, for the practice group and directors of didactic programs and dietetic internships. Most respondents were white (85.7%) and spoke English as their primary language (96.8%). About 64% had a master's degree (Table

Discussion

From our test of a model for multicultural nutrition counseling competencies, 28 competencies emerged in 3 factors: multicultural nutrition counseling skills, multicultural awareness, and multicultural food and nutrition counseling knowledge. The resulting model is similar to those proposed by Sue et al (3), (4), Pope and Reynolds (5), Campinha-Bacote (7), and Sodowsky et al (10). The competencies within our model, however, are specific to dietetics practice; specifically, the role of food and

Applications

■ Dietitians can use the model described in this article as a guide to develop multicultural nutrition counseling competence and provide optimal nutrition services for diverse populations.

■ Dietitians in supervisory or administrative positions can use the model to promote the multicultural competence of their staffs, thereby, supporting their facilities' multicultural competence.

■ Although further research is needed to validate a self-assessment tool based on this model, dietetians can conduct

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Model for Multicultural Nutrition Counseling Competencies

Abstract

Section snippets

Models of Multicultural Competencies

Proposed Model

Demographic Characteristics

Discussion

Applications

J Am Diet Assoc.

Nurs Clin North Am.

J Am Diet Assoc.

J Am Diet Assoc.

J Am Diet Assoc.

J Am Diet Assoc.

J Am Diet Assoc.

J Am Diet Assoc.

Toward a Culturally Competent System of Care

Position papercross-cultural counseling competencies

Counsel Psychol.

Multicultural counseling competencies and standardsa call to the profession

J Multicult Counsel Dev.

Student affairs core competenciesintegrating multicultural awareness, knowledge and skills

J Coll Student Dev.

Handbook for Developing Multicultural Awareness

Evaluating the impact of multicultural counseling training

J Counsel Dev.

Development of Multicultural Counseling Inventorya self-report measure of multicultural competencies

J Counsel Psychol.

Developmental and factors structure of the cross-cultural counseling inventory-revised

Professional Psychol: Res Pract.