Analysis of Reasons for Continuing Education in Dietitians

This study analyzed the reasons for continuing education among dietitians. An internet-based survey of 622 dieticians was conducted from August 31, 2012 to September 12, 2012. Based on data from the Participation Reasons Scale (PRS) questionnaire, factor analysis was conducted by principle component analysis for the extraction of major factors. Subsequent reliability analysis was performed by assessing Cronbach's ${\alpha}$. The ANOVA-test was performed to compare the participation reason scores for each factors according to general characteristics. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS ver.17.0, and P<0.05 was considered significant. Factor analysis for the participation reasons revealed four types of factors. These factors were "maintenance and development of professional competencies", "interaction and responsibility of professionals", "job stability and personal profits" and "services for customers" respectively. Among the participation reasons, "maintenance and development of professional competencies" was the first reason with a 29.34% variance. In addition, the participation reasons for continuing education differed according to age (P<0.05), the highest level of education (P<0.05), workplace (P<0.01), and work experience in dietetic area (P<0.001). In conclusion, continuing education programs for dietitians should focus on effectively developing and promoting professionalism.

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