Perspectives of Food as Medicine Concept: Report of an Online Convenience Sample Survey of Registered Dietitian Nutritionists

Background In 2019, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (Academy) Foundation launched a project to leverage registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs) leading "food as medicine" (FAM) initiatives within food retail settings. Subsequently, a conceptual definition of FAM was created. Objective This survey aimed to gauge RDNs' familiarity with FAM, assess RDNs' perceptions of the Academy's FAM definition, and prioritize program models for food retail implementation. Design Development and testing of this cross-sectional survey involved expert content validation, cognitive interviews, and field testing. Participants One thousand five hundred fifty-two RDN Academy members completed the online survey. Main outcome measures Familiarity and perception of FAM was evaluated by asking participants about FAM focus areas, Academy definition, concept integration, and FAM program models within food retail settings. Statistical analyses performed Quantitative results were analyzed descriptively, using frequencies and proportions; content analysis was used on qualitative results to analyze open-ended responses. Results Most respondents had heard the term FAM (94%) and were familiar with the concept (95%). Before learning the Academy's FAM definition, RDN views of the concept aligned with the definition's strategic focus areas (health and well-being, disease management and treatment, nutrition security, food safety). Overall, 77% of RDNs surveyed had a positive perception of the Academy's FAM definition. Sixtynine percent also found food retail settings favorable for integrating FAM programming. Because of the limited number of RDNs identifying food retail as their primary practice setting (n 1/4 12), data on prioritizing program models in these settings were not analyzed. Conclusions RDNs in all practice settings can incorporate strategic focus areas outlined in the Academy's FAM definition. Further research is needed, particularly around use of the term by the RDN profession. A follow-up survey targeting a larger sample size of RDNs who practice in food retail settings is also necessary to further prioritize FAM program models in these settings. J Acad Nutr Diet.