Nutrition and Dietetics Education from Past to Present and Standardization of Nutrition and Dietetics Education

Abstract

This review aims to summarize the history of the Nutrition and Dietetics discipline and evaluate how standardization can be achieved in its education and training. Despite being a concept with traces throughout history, the emergence of Nutrition and Dietetics as a modern science dates back to the 18th century. The foundations of the profession of dietetics were laid in the late 19th century globally, and in Türkiye, it began with the establishment of the “Dietetics” program at Hacettepe University in 1962. With the increasing interest in the field, the number of programs and dietitians has been steadily rising. To promote international collaboration and knowledge exchange among dietitians, as well as to ensure standardization in education and professional practice, international organizations such as the International Confederation of Dietetic Associations (ICDA), International Union of Nutritional Sciences (IUNS), and European Federation of the Associations of Dietitians (EFAD) have been established. In Türkiye, the opinions of EFAD and ICDA serve as fundamental references for the standardization and accreditation efforts of Nutrition and Dietetics undergraduate programs. In order to educate qualified dietitians in line with the societal needs, the content and competencies of educational programs should be standardized based on the fundamental principles of these authorities. With the increasing number of Health Sciences programs in the country, efforts began in 2015 to establish the National Core Curriculum for Nutrition and Dietetics Education (UÇEP), and in 2016, “BDB (Nutrition and Dietetics)-UÇEP-2016” was created. Due to rapidly changing and uncertain global conditions, there arose a need to update the BDB-UÇEP, leading to the preparation of BDB-UÇEP-2023, which is set to come into effect soon. Alongside the program’s content and infrastructure, the competence of the academic staff holds great significance in maintaining the quality of Nutrition and Dietetics education and ensuring standards. Moreover, these conditions must not only be established but also continuously monitored by relevant authorities to ensure sustainability.