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Purpose: Dietitian and consumer perspectives on nutrition education needs and preferences were explored, as these relate to health status. Methods: Phases 1 and 2 of a three-phase, mixed-methods study are reported. Phase 1 was a national online survey of dietitians, which was designed to inform the development of a consumer survey (Phase 2). Consumers responded to an online survey about their demographics, medical conditions, and nutrition education needs (what they wanted to learn) and preferences (how they wanted to learn). Phase 3 involved teleconferenced discussion groups with dietitians across Canada to develop guidelines for nutrition education. Results: Dietitian respondents (n=441) perceived that consumer health status was important in predicting needs and preferences for nutrition education; emotional support was considered most important for consumers with life-altering medical conditions. Consumers (n=680) expressed interest in an array of nutrition education approaches; cooking tips, recipes, and supplement advice were the most popular. Respondents with and without medical conditions had similar nutrition education needs and preferences. Conclusions: Because of the complexity of nutrition education and consumers’ preference for a spectrum of approaches and delivery methods, evidence-based nutrition education guidelines are important to inform dietetics training for the provision of client-centred nutrition education.

Purpose: This study was conducted to explore whether preparing more complex meals was associated with higher food security status. Methods: This mixed-methods, community-based study involved the use of semistructured interviews to examine the cooking practices of a group of young, low-income women in Montreal. Fifty participants aged 18 to 35 were recruited at 10 locations in five low-income neighbourhoods. Food security status was the main outcome measure and the main exposure variable, “complex food preparation,” combined the preparation of three specific food types (soups, sauces, and baked goods) using basic ingredients. Results: Low-income women preparing a variety of meals using basic ingredients at least three times a week were more than twice as likely to be food secure as were women preparing more complex meals less frequently. Conclusions: Women who prepared more complex meals more frequently had higher food security. Whether this means that preparing more complex foods results in greater food security remains unclear, as this was an exploratory study.

Change is the one constant in a constantly changing world, including the world of dietetic practice. Over a 40-year career, I have witnessed and participated in many such changes. Key lessons from my early career with Manitoba Agriculture and Manitoba Health include an understanding of the power of teamwork, of the importance of communication skills, of the need for shared knowledge and expertise, and of ways to connect nutrition messages with food and eating. Later, my work as director of education in a family medicine residency program taught me the value of building a portfolio of knowledge and skills and of working with families. Similarly, my work with the Organization for Cooperation in Overseas Development led me to appreciate the need for cultural sensitivity in our work. Opportunities with Dietitians of Canada have shown me that future directions must include continued interdisciplinary development of policy and position papers. Other important challenges include determining issues relevant to various areas of dietetic practice, working to achieve Vision 2020 goals, and inspiring and nurturing new leadership among younger Dietitians of Canada members.

I wish to welcome everyone to Edmonton and the 2011 Dietitians of Canada Annual Conference Research Event. This year we have over 600 participants attending the conference with over 80 research posters and oral presentations that span topics from clinical nutrition to food policy to research methodology to community nutrition and dietetic practice and education. This year the breadth of research was very strong indicating the strong role that dietitians play in conducting evidenced based nutrition research that supports dietetic practice in all areas of professional practice. I wish to congratulate each and every presenter for sharing their research and for all their hard work. This year we will continue with the Poster Tours. These tours allow each presenter to discuss the highlights of his/her research under the guidance of one of the abstract review committee members and/or graduate students. These sessions are very interactive and also provide those attending the tours the opportunity to network with other dietetic researchers in Canada. We hope that you will enjoy these tours once again. On behalf of the membership of Dietitians of Canada, I would like to thank the Abstracts Review Committee members who took the time from their busy schedules to provide their expertise to review these abstracts. Our abstract committee represented a broad spectrum of dietetic expertise from professional practice sectors across Canada. I wish to thank them for their hard work. Thanks go to: Dr(s) Kate Storey, Laura Forbes, Justine Turner, Anna Farmer, Michelle MacKenzie, Vera Mazurak and Heidi Bates from the University of Alberta, Lyn Zuberbuhler and Tanis Fenton from Alberta Health Services, Alice Lee from Covenant Health, Roula Tzianetas from Mount Sinai Hospital, Roseann Nasser from Regina Qu'Appelle Health Region, Dr Christine Lengyel from the University of Manitoba and Dr. Frances Rioux from the University of Ottawa. I would also like to acknowledge the Canadian Foundation for Dietetic Research and Dietitians of Canada for their ongoing support of practice based research in Canada and for their vision of supporting dietetic training and research in this important area of practice. Please join me in celebrating Canadian Dietetic Research by attending the poster presentations on Thursday and Friday (June 16 and 17) and the oral presentations on Friday, June 17 in the afternoon.