Question 3
Throughout this article, several different statistical terms were used to test the reliability and validity of a measurement, suggesting that nutrition professionals should have a strong background in statistical analysis. Do you feel a strong grasp on statistics is needed for our field? Why or why not? What recommendations would you make to a dietitian that wanted to conduct a research study that did not have a strong background in statistics?
posted by Rachel Johanek @ 10:45 AM
17 comments
17 Comments:
I think it's important for any professional in a field that requires continuing education and the upkeep of knowledge to have an understanding of statistics. I do not think that dietitians need to be experts on statistics but they do need to understand the importance of conducting research and what exactly the data means. Obviously, if the dietitian is wanting to conduct research of their own then they need to know what data analyses to use and whether or not their findings were significant. However, all dietitians should be keeping up with the constant research being done in nutrition so it's important for them to know why certain tests were used like ANOVA or correlations and what the data produced means. If they do not understand this then it will be difficult for them to understand the importance and findings of the research being performed. If the dietitian did not have a strong grasp on statistics, then I would recommend purchasing a book that is easy to follow and provides good information on statistics and then compare that information to current research articles. This way they are learning about statistics AND gaining more knowledge on dietetics!
I feel that it is important for RDs to have the basic knowledge of statistics and statistical analysis, but I don't think I would go as far as saying they need a "strong" background in statistics. I do think it is essential to have a well-rounded individual who is familiar with many different areas even if it does not particularly pertain to their job description/job duties, but with that said if a dietitian was more interested in research and publishing books, articles, etc. rather than working in a community/clinical/food service setting then they should absolutely have a "strong" background in statistics. It is definitely important for people working in this field to understand the whys and the hows of statistics in order to keep up with research and the constant changes that are always occurring related to health/nutrition field. My recommendation for a dietitian wanting to conduct research without having a strong background in statistics would be to explore research articles for practice,look up the specific methods/analyses of statistics and why they are used, read a basic statistics book (how-to books) and even consider obtaining help from a statistician who can better explain the basics of statistics.
Bethany, I completely agree that all dietitians should be keeping up with research and new developments in nutrition and it can only supplement their knowledge by also knowing why statistics are performed, how they are done and how to understand the results. You hit the nail on the head.
I believe it is important for dietitians to have a good grasp on statistics. Keeping abreast of the current research is essential for dietetics professionals to remain knowledgeable in their particular field. In order to fully grasp most research articles it is necessary to be familiar with statistical methods. This will ensure that the information is fully understood and able to be applied to practice. If a dietitian wanted to conduct a research study, but did not have a strong background in statistics I would recommend that their purchase a statistical method book that is easy to understand and refer to a friend or colleague with a background in statistics for additional assistance.
I don’t necessarily believe that a strong grasp on statistics is needed for our field, but I do believe it is vital in staying current with research and improving upon our skills and knowledge as new research emerges. Research is vital to any field of study and it is what keeps nutrition current and relevant. Having an understanding of statistics is so important so that one can understand what the research is suggesting and being able to relate that to a client, patient, colleague, etc. If a dietician is considering conducting a research study, they should probably read other articles that reflect their intended study, try to understand what is necessary, statistically speaking, to achieve the study, and seek the necessary resources that will aid them along the way.
I agree with Liz that it would be beneficial for a dietitian to read other research articles similar to the study that they would like to conduct. This will provide them with a guide for their statistical methods. This could then be supplemented with additional resources, such as statistical analyses books and colleagues that have experience with statistics.
Like Rosemary said, staying up-to-date on current research is crucial to remaining knowledgeable in dietetics. Application of the research to practice is necessary when dealing with clients and/or patients who are constantly reading articles online or hearing facts (or fiction) through other media sources.
I feel like some areas of dietetics need a stronger background in statistical analysis than others, but overall, I do feel like dietitians need to understand statistics because they are a part of almost every nutrition-related career I can think of. We need to understand stats to do research, to use data, to explain the data to others, to analyze budgets and past menu cycles, etc. If a dietitian did not have a strong background in statistics, I would strongly advise to recruit a member to their research team who was very proficient in statistical analysis. I would also recommend having that person explain as much as they could and to observe how they handle the analysis to get a better understanding of the processes.
I agree with Rose and Liz that it is crucial to understand statistics to keep current with new research. If you don't understand the research articles you are reading, it is more than likely that you will not be able to utilize that data as well as you could. I also like Bethany and Liz's recommendations for a dietitian to better understand statistics. I feel like a combination of reading similar articles, reading textbooks, and getting outside help would really be helpful to learn stats better.
I think that it is important for nutrition professionals to have a grasp on statistics, but not necessarily a strong one. An interdisciplinary approach to research only makes findings stronger. Where one professional may lack knowledge, another can fill in. I would suggest this type of interdisciplinary approach to a dietitian that wanted to conduct a research study, but did not have a strong background in statistics.
I agree with everyone that it is important for RDs, as nutrition professionals, to stay up to date with current research. Reading journal articles and statistical books would definitely be good ways to stay current with our field and that of statistics. It is better to be at least familiar with other fields, than know nothing besides your own.
I definitely feel as though a grasp on statistics is great for our field. However, I do not feel a strong grasp is completely necessary. Our field, whether our career path is in community, foodservice, clinical, or research is constantly growing with new and greater information. We commit ourselves to continuing education as nutrition professionals. Without my exposure to statistical analysis, I would not be able to accurately interpret research to the degree I do today. For this reason, those who have a foundation of knowledge for statistics should share and educate their knowledge with upcoming research and also assist with data analysis (in the workplace, community and during continuing education) to help our field grow and develop as a whole.
I absolutely believe that Dietitians should have a strong background in statistics. Disseminating research is a key element to continuing education, and I tend to believe that skipping the data analysis section of an article is insufficient when acquiring continuing education credits. As entry level dietitians entering the field with a MS, we have the responsibility of representing the field in a positive way. Furthermore, we should be able to read the literature with a critical eye, and determine if the findings of the research article are truly what they say they are- and if relationships between variables appear to be stronger in the discussion section than they actually are. There are some ethical issues involved here, but really anyone could play with the numbers to get significant results. Without understanding statistics, we rely on the publication to do that for us, but really take the researchers word at face value.
After reading everyone's blogs, I think it's pretty unanimous that dietitians should be well rounded in statistics. This got me thinking about my undergrad and how I was not required to take a statistics class. Now, I am sure most of you had to take statistics but I think it should be mandatory as part of the DPD program. Granted, I took a math class and a FCS class that briefly went over statistics but they did not nearly provide enough information for me to be able to read a research article and understand what it's about. So our education should provide us with this tool before entering into an internship, grad school or whatever the next step may be.
I think that a strong knowledge of statistics is definitely needed for nutrition professionals. We base a lot of our current practices on current research and if we are not able to analyze the data that is coming out about nutrition than we'd have a hard time assessing the quality of the research and applying it to our practice. My recommendations for an RD that wanted to conduct reserach is to do some reading about statistics as well as teaming up with someone who is very knowledgable in statistics to help with the data collection and analysis.
I agree with Kara in the fact that stats is used in a lot of aspects of each career path of a dietitian. Even analyzing customer satisfaction surveys requires some knowledge in stats so it is important to have a good base before entering the professional world of dietetics.
Since nutrition is based on scientific research, and understanding of statistics and research methods is necessary to evaluate studies, apply findings, and conduct new studies. Reading a textbook about nutrition is vey good and all, but dietitians must also be able to go back to the source of that information and critically analyze how the findings were developed and identify how valid and reliable they are. New information is continuously discovered through research, and keeping up with that research is a part of the job description for a dietitian. If an RD has a weak background in statistics and want to conduct a research study, I would suggest the RD strengthen his or her background first and foremost; additional team members with a strong background in statistics may have to be recruited as well to ensure the research is valiable and usable.
~Anna Taylor
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