342 - Oral Health Practices: Attitudes, Actions, and Barriers in Dietetic Internships

Purpose:

This study evaluates the extent of oral health education and oral-health focused rotations in Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) dietetic internship programs with a masters degree. The objective was to assess dietetic internship director’s oral health knowledge, attitudes towards providing oral health knowledge, and perceived barriers of oral health integration into nutrition programs.

Methods:

An anonymous survey was electronically sent to internship directors of ACEND accredited dietetic internship programs that offer a masters degree. The survey assessed the demographics of the dietetic internship, the background of the internship director, and current practices of oral health integration within the internship.

Results:

Out of 150 surveys, 47 were returned (31% response rate), with 37 meeting study criteria. Affiliation with a dental school did not influence directors' confidence in students' ability to provide oral health nutrition counseling. All directors reported covering oral health topics, though content, delivery, and barriers varied. While not statistically significant, directors were generally “fairly confident” in students’ counseling abilities, despite limited training in and out of the classroom.

Conclusion: Dental school affiliation and inclusion of specific oral health topics in dietetic internships did not significantly impact directors' confidence in students' counseling abilities. Findings suggest a need for standardized oral health education and further research on the relationship between director confidence, intern confidence, and clinical application.

Identify Supporting Agency and Grant Number: N/A