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Roger Hughes

Publications and source records attributed to Roger Hughes.

9 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

The Women's Health Initiative. What is on trial: nutrition and chronic disease? Or misinterpreted science, media havoc and the sound of silence from peers?

The first results of the Women's Health Initiative dietary intervention trial were published in the USA in February. This is a colossal intervention designed to see if diets lower in fat and higher in fruits, vegetables and grains than is usual in high-income countries reduce the incidence of breast cancer, colorectal cancer, heart disease and other chronic diseases, in women aged 50-79 years. As interpreted by US government media releases, the results were unimpressive. As interpreted by a global media blitz, the results indicate that food and nutrition has little or nothing to do with health and disease. But the trial was in key respects not reaching its aims, was methodologically controversial, and in any case has not produced the reported null results. What should the public health nutrition profession do about such messes?

Aged↗
PubMed2004

Competencies for effective public health nutrition practice: a developing consensus.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the level of consensus amongst an international panel of public health nutrition leaders regarding the essential competencies required for effective public health nutrition practice. DESIGN: A modified Delphi study involving three rounds of questionnaires. SUBJECTS: A panel of 20 public health nutrition experts from seven countries in the European Union, the USA and Australia. RESULTS: Expert panellists completed three rounds of the study relating to competencies. A literature review conducted as a prelude to the expert panel survey identified common competency units from the fields of public health, health promotion, nutrition and dietetics, and health education. These were categorised into seven competency areas including analytical, socio-cultural and political, public health service, communication, management and leadership, nutrition science and professional competency categories. There was strong initial agreement (> or = 90% of panellists at Round 1) that developing internationally recognised competencies for public health nutrition specialists was a priority. Twenty-six of an initial listing of 52 competency units were rated as essential competencies by > or = 80% of the panellists after Round 1. Iteration rounds resulted in the addition of five extra competency units suggested by panellists after Round 1 and an increase by 13 in the number of competencies rated as essential to consensus levels. From a total of 57 competency units rated after the final survey round, 41 competency units were rated as essential competencies by > or = 80% of the panellists (consensus), with 21 of these unanimously rated as essential competencies. CONCLUSIONS: There is strong international agreement amongst public health nutrition leaders in Europe, the USA and Australia about a range of competencies required for effective public health nutrition practice. Essential competency units identified can be used to develop and review competency standards for public health nutrition.

Australia↗
PubMed2003

Public health nutrition workforce composition, core functions, competencies and capacity: perspectives of advanced-level practitioners in Australia.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the attitudes, experiences and beliefs of advanced-level public health nutritionists with respect to public health nutrition workforce composition, core functions, competency requirements and existing workforce capacity. DESIGN: Qualitative study using structured interviews. SETTING: Australia. SUBJECTS: Forty-one advanced-level public health nutritionists employed in academic and senior technocratic positions in state health systems. RESULTS: Advanced-level public health nutritionists recognise the diversity of the public health nutrition workforce but clearly identify the need for a specialist public health nutrition workforce tier to provide workforce leadership. Nominated core functions for public health nutrition reflect broader public health core functions but, in the context of nutrition, specific problem resolution. Opinions about competency needs were similar to many of the cross-cutting competencies identified in the public health field but with specific application to nutrition problems. Competency in the scientific underpinning of nutrition was considered particularly important and delineated this public health nutrition workforce from the broader public health workforce. Public health nutrition was identified as a specialisation within public health and dietetics. Workforce capacity assessments by this group indicate a need for workforce development. CONCLUSIONS: Qualitative data from a large proportion of the Australian public health nutrition leadership group have identified core functions, competencies and workforce development priorities that can be a basis for further systematic research and workforce strategy development.

Australia↗
PubMed2003

A conceptual framework for intelligence-based public health nutrition workforce development.

OBJECTIVE: This paper describes a conceptual framework and associated intelligence requirements for problem-based workforce development for public health nutrition. METHODS: A conceptual framework for public health nutrition workforce development was constructed based on a review of the literature and consideration of the intelligence needs to inform workforce development planning. RESULTS: A cyclical conceptual framework including five intelligence-linked components including public health nutrition problems and priorities, solutions and best buys, work needed, capacity to do the work and workforce development needs. This framework applied to the Australian situation illustrates its applications in workforce development research and planning. Although the existing availability of workforce development intelligence in each of these components varies, the framework does provide a systematic approach for workforce development research and planning directly related to public health nutrition problem resolution. CONCLUSIONS: This framework highlights deficiencies in the existing public health nutrition workforce development intelligence and the need for further research to inform workforce development strategy planning.

Australia↗
PubMed2003

Definitions for public health nutrition: a developing consensus.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the level of agreement amongst a panel of public health nutrition leaders regarding the key descriptors used to define the field of public health nutrition. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey requiring quantitative and qualitative responses representing the first round of a consensus development Delphi technique. SETTING: International. SUBJECTS: Expert panel of 24 public health nutrition leaders from nine countries in the European Union, the USA and Australia. RESULTS: All but one of the panel agreed it was important to have a consensus definition for public health nutrition to describe the field consistently. Opinion about the length and complexity of this definition tended to vary depending on the intended use of the definition. The large majority (18/24) supported the inclusion of specific reference to physical activity in a definition of public health nutrition, although there was not consensus (> 83% agreement as criterion) on this point. Consensus descriptors regarded as important in a definition of public health nutrition included: population-based, focus on health promotion, food and nutrition systems focus, wellness maintenance, primary prevention, applies public health principles, education, environmental and political descriptors. Treatment as a descriptor was rated as unimportant by a majority (14/24) of panellists, delineating public health nutrition from clinical practice. CONCLUSIONS: There is strong international agreement amongst public health nutrition leaders in Europe, the USA and Australia about a range of descriptors that can be used to define public health nutrition. The limitations of using word-for-word definitions between and within countries may be overcome by explicit use of the consensus descriptors identified in this process.

Cross-Sectional Studies↗
PubMed2003

Competency development needs of the Australian public health nutrition workforce.

OBJECTIVES: To assess factors affecting competency development of the Australian public health nutrition workforce and investigate competency development intentions, barriers and self-reported training needs. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study using self-administered mail- or email-delivered questionnaire. SETTING AND SUBJECTS: Two hundred and forty practitioners working in designated community and public health nutrition positions in the Australian health system. RESULTS: An 87% questionnaire response rate was achieved. The profile of the sample included female practitioners (95%) within the age range of 26-45 years (67%), from dietetic backgrounds (75%) and employed in state health departments as community dietitians/nutritionists (52%) or public health nutritionists (32%). Only 14% had completed higher degree qualifications but most (80%) reported an intention to do so in the future. Entry-level dietetic education was considered by most respondents (57%) to be inadequate preparation for public health nutrition practice but considered it had utility as a precursor for public health nutrition competency development because of its strong grounding in nutrition knowledge, basic research skills and problem-solving. On-the-job learning was the most prominent competency development influence reported by this workforce. Flexibility in teaching and learning approaches is needed to facilitate workforce participation in further competency development. The main competency development needs focused on analytical and policy process competencies; however, there was a general need expressed for competency development across many competency areas. CONCLUSIONS: These data provide intelligence to inform public health nutrition workforce development, particularly that relating to continued professional development amongst the existing workforce.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A socioecological analysis of the determinants of national public health nutrition work force capacity: Australia as a case study.

This article uses a socioecological analytical approach to assess the capacity of the public health nutrition work force in Australia as a prelude to work force development strategy planning. It demonstrates how the socioecological model can be used to assess and inform the development of the infrastructure required for effective public health nutrition effort. An interpretive case study method was used involving triangular analysis of quantitative and qualitative data from multiple sources including semistructured interviews with advanced-level practitioners, literature review, a cross-sectional national work force survey, and position description audit and consensus development using a Delphi study. The findings of this analysis indicate that the Australian public health nutrition work force's capacity to effectively address priority nutrition issues is limited by determinants that can be categorized as relating to human resource infrastructure, organizational and policy environments, intelligence access and use, practice improvement and learning systems, and work force preparation. This socioecological analysis supports an intelligence-based focus for work force development effort in Australia and a conceptual framework for work force capacity assessment with potential applications in other countries.

Adult↗