2012 Volume 70 Issue 2 Pages 110-119
Objective: To examine the characteristics of students who obtain high scores on a test of elementary competency for registered dietitians.
Methods: A total of 6,895 seniors from 102 schools completed self-administered questionnaires that were sent to 111 schools for registered dietitians in December 2010 (response rate: 75.7%). The questionnaires included items on competency (5 on a Likert scale, 4 elementary items, 29 general items, and 7 occupational items) and demographics (sex, age, career course after graduation, etc.). Participants were divided into four groups (D4, D3, D2, and D1) consisting of those in the 10th, 50th, and 90th percentile groups according to elementary competency scores (decile, D); these groups were compared on the basis of demographic and other characteristics.
Results: Most subjects (97.6%) were 21~25 years old; 90.1% were female. The following four groups were formed on the basis of the scores on elementary competency: D4, n = 622, 9.6%; D3, n = 3,113, 45.1%; D2, n = 2,166, 31.4%; and D1, n = 948, 13.7% (missing, n = 6, 0.1%). Compared to the high-score group (D4), the low-score group (D3~D1) included fewer women, graduates of other schools, participants who had conducted graduate work, and individuals who were to appear for a national exam. The low-score group contained a few prospective employees and prospective registered dietitians. Those in the high-score group for elementary competence also obtained high scores on the general and occupational items.
Conclusion: The study showed that those obtaining high scores on elementary competency were more likely to have graduated from other schools, were to appear for a national exam, were prospective employees, attended a master's-level course, and obtained high scores on other measures of competence.
