Collaboration and Coordination of Guidance on Diet in Elementary School Diet and Nutrition Teachers and School Dietitian in Miyagi

Abstract

Nutrition teachers are responsible for coordinating “guidance on diet", although their job description is not yet clearly established. We studied 94 nutrition teachers and dieticians working in elementary schools in Miyagi Prefecture, divided them into three groups by types of their answers ; “we are practicing", “we will try to practice" and “we are not practicing". We then clarified the current status of and the challenges for respective groups. The result revealed about 40% of respondents were responsible for coordination in drawing up the overall plans. Involvement in the annual planning and understanding of the progress in curricula of grades were found to be a challenge in future as they were not actively performed, and there were differences according to types of respondents. Although the respondents were fully aware of the importance of coordination, there were differences in degrees of their self-evaluations and awareness of demands from those involved. As for coordination with students' families and communities, rather little is being performed, indicating the importance of information-gathering and network building. Overwork in diet management works as well as lack of understanding of those involved were cited as causes of difficulties faced by respondents.