Enumeration of the public health nutrition workforce

Objectives: Enumerate the current United States public health nutrition workforce and assess the workforce infrastructure.

Subjects: Nutrition professionals and paraprofessionals in state and local public health nutrition programs under the purview of the state/territorial health agency, including those in official health agencies, and non-profit and for-profit agencies under a contractual or grantee relationship with the state/territorial health agency.

Methods: The Association of State and Territorial Public Health Nutrition Directors in collaboration with the University of Tennessee planned and implemented a 42-item on-line questionnaire with items on practice, job classification, funding, education, training needs and demographics. Print option was available for staff without Internet access. Each state/territory's primary contact was trained on staff selection and recruitment, within-state survey oversight, and data management and cleaning. Data were analyzed descriptively with SPSS.

Results: Results reveal a public health nutrition workforce composed of salaried and contract positions, funded primarily through public dollars and working in both direct nutrition care and population-based programs and services. The majority is funded by the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children. Both continuing education and training priorities are identified.

Conclusion: Program administrators and directors can use results for workforce forecasting and planning, including targeted training and workforce development to support essential public health services.